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Alison:
Trapper John the Bald Eagle - Part 4
Our patient "Trapper John", the Bald Eagle caught in a leg hold trap in late October has become an emotional favorite not only with REGI staff but with our facebook and blog public too. Our weather has been unseasonably warm this week so yesterday he was transferred to an outdoor flight. This is in anticipation of his eventual release. He has come a long way since he was admitted. Honestly, I never thought I would see the day when he was flying again as he is today. You might recall his wings were badly battered as he struggled to stay afloat during the three days he spend in the Wisconsin River. He is still not "out of the woods" and will come back indoors when the weather turns frigid later this week. For now however he is outdoors for the first time since he was admitted.
While all of our patients are special, this Bald Eagle is even more so than most. His is incredibly patient with us and his predicament. I wish I could share with everyone just how amazing he is. For the few folks that have seen Trapper John in person, you know exactly what I mean.
Physically, "Trapper" has not gained the weight I hoped he would. He still weighs 7lbs. 11ozs. That is significantly underweight for a male northern Bald Eagle and is disappointing. His foot is still quite swollen and tender. He still suffers from physiologic stress, but is making progress. I will continue to update you on his progress. If he makes it through the many hurdles left before he regains his full health, we will have to have a huge celebration. We keep our fingers crossed for the day his release to the wild becomes reality.
Alison:
Trapper John the Bald Eagle - Part 3
I am delighted to say that he is still with us. He continues to make slow progress. The key word here is progress.
He has been a stellar patient and has the hearts of so many. Today for the first time, he was dismayed with me and showed it when I caught him up to bring him inside. He spend most of the day out in a flight with another Bald Eagle in recovery. It was too cold tonight to leave him out.
He is still in fragile condition, but he is less convinced of that that I am. His appetite is not been great. That is an additional concern. He has some heart problems, I think from the exhaustion of the three day trip down the Wisconsin River while wearing a muskrat trap on his foot. We will see if that resolves when he is completely recovered from his other medical problems. I am soaking his affected foot in hot water in the evening to quell the inflammation of the soft tissue. Soaking the foot of a Bald Eagle in a hot water bath is not an easy task. I am thrilled his condition is improving each day.
I hate to get too optimistic, but so far so good. The best part is he seems at peace with his situation and is taking this captivity thing in stride. He is fascinated with us and what we are doing. He is an exceptional eagle, that seems to be keeping a mental log on humans. Some members of the Medford Bird Club were able to observe his enormous sense of self and calm during their tour on Saturday. It seems a contradiction at times that we are not able to share some of these cases in person with the public. Our federal permits do not allow the general public to come into contact with the birds that will be released, unless it is incidental to care. The birds themself teach so much better than any human ever could.
I am hoping for the best for him. He has been through so much.
In the first pic below, he is with another recovering eagle. He is now able to perch, whereas when he was rescued he was unable to stand.
Alison:
Trapper John the Bald Eagle - Part 2
It is very good news that the trapped Bald Eagle has made great progress. He is still fighting pneumonia. That fact alone makes him still a critical case. We are trying hard not to get too excited! He has not had solid food or eaten on his own since admission. He has however gained 1 lb. 5 ozs. That speaks well of REGI staff that tube fed him liquid food and gave supportive around the clock care the past week. We are going slow on solid food, but he is eating beef heart strips.
He has started to flap those very battered wings. Keep those positive thoughts coming his way.
First meal on his own Being very cooperative about being weighed
Alison:
Trapper John the Bald Eagle
http://raptoreducationgroup.blogspot.com/
maggieblue:
Geriatric pair of bald eagles has new chicks
Posted: 24/06/2008 10:25 AM
They might be senior citizens in the bird world, but they haven't lost their libido. A pair of bald eagles at the Assiniboine Park Zoo who are in their 40s -- equivalent to 110 in human years -- had two new baby chicks.
"I think it's interesting to equate it to human years because it would be impossible to breed at that stage for humans," said Bob Wrigley, the zoo's curator who announced the hatching of the baby chicks on Monday . "They're so senior they were having trouble flying up to the nest box so they moved it to a lower area."
The eagles here in Winnipeg are grey-headed and the male is blind in one eye. Most eagles, though, don't even survive in the wilderness past 30, let alone produce offspring, Wrigley said.
The pair was donated to the zoo more than 40 years ago by Manitoba Conservation's Wildlife Branch and the Calgary Zoo. Before the pair could breed 23 chicks in 25 years, they first got to know each other during a nine-year love affair, Wrigley said.
"They mate for life and they're really good pals," he said. "I love to hear them call back and forth."
The last time the female's eggs actually hatched was three years ago, Wrigley said
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32915599.html
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