The sun was already setting when Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) Officer Tina Hernandez responded to an after-hours call a few weeks ago. Locals spotted a bird hanging by his wing from a tree. Arriving on the scene, Officer Hernandez soon realized she would need some backup. The bird was an adult bald eagle, his wing caught in fishing wire, dangling 25 feet in the air.
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
As it got darker, Chief Chris Brosan from LCAS arrived with a ladder, tree trimmers, a net and a blanket. Both he and Officer Hernandez focused on freeing the eagle quickly while causing as little stress as possible, which proved tricky.
“Whenever we started going up the ladder to see if we could get near him, he started panicking,” Officer Hernandez told The Dodo.
Loudoun County Animal Services
Most eagle rescues in Officer Hernandez’s 14 years of service have involved birds on the ground, immobilized by poison or injury. “You can just walk up to them, put the net on, put the blanket on,” Officer Hernandez said. “I think this might be the first one we’ve ever had that was dangling.”
Finally, after careful maneuvering, Chief Brosan cut the eagle free, and Officer Hernandez caught the bird using the net and blanket.
“He was too big for our big cat carriers, so we kind of just kept him covered,” she said. “The big thing you have to worry about is his talons and his beak … Even though he was drained from hanging and fighting [for] so long, he was still very feisty, very strong.”
Safely secured in one of LCAS’ vehicles, which are equipped with large caging systems, officers drove the eagle to Kristi’s Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education, a local wildlife rehabilitation center owned and operated by Kristi Titus. The eagle arrived lying on his stomach in the crate.
“I gave him a quick exam, but I knew I could not do anything for him,” Titus told The Dodo. In the morning, Titus had her “best transporter” deliver the eagle to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center for medical care.
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
According to a Facebook post from the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, this poor eagle had a swollen wing tip and “severe droop,” meaning one wing hung lower than the other. The medical staff also discovered the eagle had lead poisoning. They administered anti-inflammatories for his wing and chelation therapy to eradicate the poison.
Several weeks after his harrowing rescue in the dark, the eagle is on the mend. It truly took a village to bring this bird to safety. Officer Hernandez checks in on him periodically and says he’s doing well.
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
“He’s kind of like a neighbor of ours,” she said. “When he’s healthy and ready to go … we all get to go out and then release [him] at [his] location. And this one is right down the road from the animal shelter. So, I think we’re going to make it a field trip for everybody.”
If you want to learn more about the Humane Law Enforcement team at Loudoun County Animal Services, check out their website!
If you’d like to support the volunteers at Kristi’s Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education, you can do so on her Facebook page!
