A young bald eagle rescued Saturday from a fishing line on the Etowah River is expected to recover, albeit slowly, the bird’s veterinarian said.
Dr. Seth Oster, who is overseeing the eagle’s recovery at Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center, said the bird is being treated for bruising and a few small lacerations on its wing. There’s no indication a fishing hook that was caught in the bird’s beak did any damage, he said.
However, it could still be a few months before the bird is returned to the wild. The nature of its injuries require close watch by Oster, and its young age means it will take time before the bird is fully comfortable flying.
“We’re watching the tip of the wing to make sure it’s remaining viable,” Oster said. “When they get damage to a wing like this, they can lose blood circulation or nerve function.”
The young bird was discovered by a group of kayakers near Hardin Bridge in Bartow County. Ben Winkelman, the director of the Rome-Floyd ECO Center and one of the kayakers who joined the rescue effort, told the Rome News-Tribune he took the bird to the Animal Medical Center of Rome before it was transferred to Auburn.
Winkelman said he hopes the incident will remind people to “be good stewards of our resources and the river.”
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