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Alison:
Tri-State Bird Rescue just posted the necropsy results for Valor.  :'(

Dear friends, we know many have been waiting to hear the results of the necropsy report for Valor. We received the report yesterday, and the findings confirm several things. First, Valor was indeed male. Second, West Nile Virus had caused severe softening and swelling in one area of his brain; this accounts for his neurological symptoms. Some evidence of parasites in the gastrointestinal tract was found, but this is very common in wild birds, and in this case, likely had little to no effect on his condition. Finally, tests for Influenza A as well as multiple toxins were negative. Being trusted to care for our native wildlife is a privilege, and we thank you all again for your concern, care, and support.



https://www.facebook.com/tristatebirdrescue/photos/a.220780611280312/2426009260757425/?type=3

Alison:
The American Eagle Foundation posted a beautiful tribute to Valor. He was only 13 weeks old, and such a special and beautiful eaglet. He should have been flying free with his sibling Victory . . . this is a very hard loss.

https://www.eagles.org/remembering-valor/

burdi:

--- Quote from: Alison on August 07, 2018, 20:19 ---I am so very sorry to share this update on Valor, which was posted by Tri-State Bird Rescue a couple of hours ago. It is devastating news.  :'( :'(

--- End quote ---

Poor, poor Valor, he was still so young, and just thinking of the pain or confusion he went through is terribly heartbreaking.

Alison:
I am so very sorry to share this update on Valor, which was posted by Tri-State Bird Rescue a couple of hours ago. It is devastating news.  :'( :'(



August 8 2018

It is with heavy hearts that we share this update. The lack of improvement in Valor's neurologic symptoms after a week of aggressive supportive care led us to the decision to humanely end Valor's suffering before his condition deteriorated further. We learned yesterday afternoon that Valor had tested positive for West Nile virus; we had suspected that this was the cause of his symptoms.

Infection with this virus is not always fatal in birds; however, after seven days of intensive supportive care, Valor remained slow to respond to stimuli and displayed no signs of improvement. He had to be force-fed as he showed no appetite and refused to hand-feed or self-feed. Valor was extremely lethargic and had head and body tremors -- signs of advancing West Nile disease. Our professional assessment was that it was extremely unlikely that he would recover, even for placement at an educational facility. Subjecting him to further treatment, handling, and captivity and prolonging his suffering would have been inhumane and contrary to our principles as wildlife rehabilitators. A necropsy will be performed at another facility.

In the past five years, we've treated 300 Bald Eagles along with over 10,000 other wild birds that have relied on us for care. As professionals, we do our very best for each and every single patient, as we always have and will continue to do, and this includes Valor. We share the deep sorrow you feel for his loss and hope you know that your passion for native wildlife matters. It is so inspiring to see the community rally behind a wild animal in need; thank you to everyone who showed support for Valor and Tri-State. While this outcome was not what we wanted, there are thousands of success stories of animals receiving a second chance at life in the wild at our center and wildlife rehabilitation centers around the world -- this is what motivates our staff and volunteers to continue caring for wildlife in need every day. To understand more about West Nile Virus please go to: https://www.raptor.umn.edu/our-research/west-nile.

Thank you all again for your support. Thank you for your understanding that we do not have the resources to reply to individual questions or phone calls about this case.

https://www.facebook.com/tristatebirdrescue/posts/2392125720812446

Alison:
However, on August 3 Tri-State Bird Rescue posted the following update:

Valor arrived yesterday at TSBRR. We are sorry to report that his condition is very poor. This young bird is severely underweight and anemic; he shows signs of long-standing nutritional and developmental issues. We will continue to do our best and we will post an update on Monday.

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