An injured bald eagle found Tuesday by staff of International Bildrite is being assessed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Larry Petersen, DNR area wildlife manager in International Falls, was contacted Tuesday by Cindy Meyer, a member of the Borderland Humane Society, after Bildrite Plant Manager Pete Larson and worker Corey Grotberg called her after they found the bird on the ground, apparently unable to fly, on Bildrite property.
Meyer contacted Petersen for assistance and Petersen picked the bird up and took it with him to the wildlife office.
The eagle spent Tuesday night in a box in a heated garage, Petersen said.
On Wednesday, Petersen said he would assess the bird and discuss what to do next with staff from the The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul.
“We don’t know the extent of the injury,” he said. “It has a damaged wing and that’s all we know. How badly damaged must be determined by someone down the line who can take an X-ray or better assess it.”
He said discussions with center staff will determine whether the eagle is a candidate for the center or is too badly damaged to survive. He said staff from The Raptor Center will determine the next best course of action for the eagle.
“It might look a little worse than it is,” he said. “We don’t know how long it’s been injured and it wasn’t along the road and was discovered incidentally.”
Petersen said how the bird was injured is unknown, but it’s likely it was struck by a vehicle. “By and large, most injured eagles are hit by vehicles on the road,” he said. “Eagles are there because of road kill and they are slow take-off birds – they can’t lift off fast or high and therefore are more vulnerable to being hit. They are big birds with wide wings, so there is more of them to hit.”
Petersen said should The Raptor Center staff determine it can help, he and staff will attempt to get the bird to St. Paul, which may involve a meeting part way and a hand-off of the bird.
