According to a news release by Erin Maxson from the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center in Grants Pass, on Thursday, January 30th, Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division Trooper Ryan Gosse arrived at their center with an injured adult Golden Eagle.
Officer Gosse reported that he had received a phone call for assistance from Mountain View Window & Door after drivers discovered the eagle behind the cab of the truck and in the engine compartment.
While drivers from Mountain View Window & Door were traveling down Crater Lake Avenue they heard a thud come from the box behind the cab. Having seen the eagle just before hearing the thud, they immediately looked in the engine compartment when they reached their destination.
After determining the eagle was wedged tightly into the small space and was unable to free itself, the Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division was contacted and Trooper Ryan Gosse responded to the situation.
After arriving on the scene, Trooper Gosse observed the eagle wedged between the box and cab as well as tangled in engine components. After folding the eagles wings the eagle was carefully extricated while another person guided the engine hoses and lines out of the eagles talons.
Because of the birds size three animal care team members helped get her out of the crate and worked with her on her examination. Animal Care manager and clinic lead Jen Osburn-Eliot noted in the intake exam that the patient had no apparent wing injuries, was at a healthy weight, and showed no obvious signs of wing damage or head trauma. The only visible injury was a small tear where the skin attaches to the beak.
That was assessed and cleaned by one of Wildlife Images’ volunteer veterinarians. An x-ray was also performed to rule out any fractures from the impact. When the exam was finished the eagle was placed in a large ICU unit for overnight observation.
Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center https://wildlifeimages.org/ facility provides for the care and treatment of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education center is open for public tours throughout the year, and has a very active educational outreach component providing educational programs on wildlife, conservation, and the environment to schools, organizations and the general public.
