Portions of a road in Orlando, Florida, were shut down for over an hour after an eagle became stuck in a storm drain.
A photo shows one eagle on top of another sandwiched in the drain.
About 25 minutes into the rescue attempt, which involved Florida Fish and Wildlife, one eagle became agitated as a rescuer came too close and few away. The other eagle fell into the drain as it attempted to get away.
After about an hour and a half into the process, workers were able to rescue the bird that fell into the drain after removing part of the structure.
Dianna Flynt, rehabilitation supervisor for the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, told WFTV it's likely that the eagles likely got stuck in the drain after locking talons the air and fighting over territory.
"If they lose territory, then they have to fight more," Flynt said. "When they fight they take them down and hold them down until somebody finally gives."
"This was not a lover's quarrel. This was two birds that said, 'I want this territory,' and the other one said, 'No you don't.'"
Fire rescue workers dropped a tarp at the bottom of the drain and Florida Fish and Wildlife scooped up the bird with a net. Flynt said that the bird hooked one of its talons on the net and she was able to pull the bird out by grabbing each of its talons, covering its head as it was in shock.
Flynt said she and her team will likely find puncture wounds in the birds, which she said is manageable. She said they plan to rehab the bird and then release it back into the wild once it is thoroughly examined.
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