Norfolk Botanical Gardens' baby eagle has no name, but it could easily be called Voracious.
At least that's the way it is eating, according to staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro where it has been taken because of a large growth on its beak.
"The bird continues to eat very well," Dr. Mark Ruder, a member of the Center’s veterinary team, said in summarizing its condition at noon today. "On Friday, the eagle ate six large mice," two at each of three feedings. "We plan to introduce fish to his diet today."
Ruder said the eagle is "doing well" and has exhibited no apparent changes in its health.
One concern authorities had voiced when they first brought the eagle down from its nest and examined it on Thursday was that the mass on its beak might be impeding its breathing.
The month-old eaglet was anesthetized Friday for radiographs, which revealed nothing unexpected, Ruder said, except for the growth on its beak.
The x-rays "show the mass nicely," said Dr. Dave McRuer, the Center's director of veterinary services. "Although there are some small deviations in the underlying bone, the sinus cavities appear unaffected."
Ruder said, however, that the growth "has distorted the wall of the beak."
Blood work done on Friday has thus far indicated that there is no infection.
"We plan to perform another blood test in the next couple of days to better evaluate organ function," Ruder said. "This is just routine blood work; we do not anticipate any abnormalities."
The eagle will be taken to the Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville this afternoon for an MRI scan.
"This form of imaging will give us more information regarding just how invasive and destructive this mass is to the underlying tissue," Ruder said.
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baby eagle
Luckily there are some good souls out there willing to do what needs to be done to help this baby bird. For those that complain, what was the last thing you did to help any human? Take all of your negativity and do something good with it instead of complaining.
I usually just remain quiet ...
when I read these comments until I get truly annoyed. There is nothing wrong with helping that baby eagle. The study and treatment on this bird could develop a vaccine that could prevent other birds from getting the same disease. It's highly unlikely that the bird would have survived without intervention. Now at least it has a chance to live. Better this then to watch the bird die on live TV.
How nice.................
When was the last time you were in a local convenience store and saw that jar with the cute little picture attached to it soliciting funds for a medical treatment some struggling family cannot afford so their loved-one could have a life changing proceedure. Here we are wasting resources on a bird.....heaven's knows what it'd costing. Let's take care of our humans before we throw our money to the birds.