It’s time to look again on 2023! Examine our weblog between Christmas and New Yr’s for a wide range of tales and recollections of 2023 from the employees and volunteers of the Wildlife Heart of Virginia.

Working as Entrance Desk Coordinator on the Wildlife Heart of Virginia, I usually obtain calls the place folks begin with, “Nicely, this can be a primary for you!” It turns into fairly exhausting to shock me with the quantity of injured wildlife I see yearly – every with a novel rescue story.

The decision that I took on the morning of September 21 was one of many few calls I’ve obtained that actually shocked me. The caller discovered a juvenile Bald Eagle on their property in Web page County that was unable to fly. Whereas I get many stories about grounded eagles, usually I’m serving to to coordinate rescue efforts. Most individuals aren’t ready to include an eagle and I by no means need to put somebody ready the place they might get harm. For that reason, I attain out to native regulation enforcement or different permitted services who’ve the right protecting gear to include the chicken safely.

Within the case of the Web page County eagle, the decision began with “I’ve a Bald Eagle contained in a big crate, can I convey it to your facility?” I used to be very greatly surprised however instructed them to convey it in as a result of it clearly wanted assist.

The eagle was discovered on the Birdsong Pleasure Backyard by property homeowners Tom and Lesley. They offer public excursions of their backyard by appointment solely and had been within the means of giving a tour after they heard fluttering over some hedges. Additional investigation revealed a juvenile Bald Eagle struggling to fly and unable to get very far off the bottom. Fortunately they acknowledged that this was not regular conduct and coordinated a rescue effort all on their very own by reaching out to a neighborhood falconer named Jennifer. She was in a position to safely include the eagle utilizing correct protecting gear. From there, Tom drove the chicken to our facility for analysis.

When the automotive pulled up, I noticed a really massive crate behind the automobile. I rapidly gave Tom some paperwork to fill out after which went to seize the crate to convey inside. I simply was not ready for what was contained in the crate – the most important feminine Bald Eagle I’ve ever laid eyes on. She took up the complete crate and I used to be instantly in such awe of this lovely chicken. I rapidly introduced the eagle inside to the hospital space so my colleague Paige and I may switch the chicken right into a separate crate.

As soon as I received the eagle settled right into a darkish, quiet space the place it may de-stress, I introduced Tom his crate again and handed him a card with the affected person quantity assigned to the eagle which is #23-3492. Tom additionally requested that Paige and I write down our names on the cardboard in order that he didn’t overlook who helped him consumption the massive chicken. Whereas we don’t give names to sufferers in order to not anthropomorphize them, someplace alongside the best way, the eagle was known as Grace Paige — after the names that had been written down on the affected person card. Although it happened by chance, I’ve by no means had an animal named after me. It actually made this particular chicken that rather more particular.

Dr. Emma carried out the consumption examination for the eagle. A weight was obtained which confirmed that the eagle weighed 8.7 lbs at consumption. Dr. Emma noticed a noticeable left wing droop in addition to bleeding and bruising of the left wing. Palpation of the wing led her to suspect that there was a fracture current. Radiographs confirmed a fractured radius and ulna which had been each in want of surgical restore. A bandage was positioned to stabilize the wing till surgical procedure may very well be carried out the next day. Blood samples had been additionally taken which revealed that the chicken was affected by subclinical lead toxicosis. Excessive ranges of lead are one thing we see regularly in raptor sufferers who come into our care. Any quantity of lead in an animal’s system is taken into account unsafe so our remedy staff administered medicine which helped efficiently “scrub” the lead from the eagle’s bloodstream.

On September 22, employees vets carried out surgical procedure on the eagle to put pins within the fractured bones. The pins helped stabilize the fractures and hold them aligned so the bone may fuse again collectively correctly. Laser remedy was carried out on the incision website to encourage new tissue progress and velocity up the therapeutic course of. A few month later, repeat radiographs had been taken which confirmed that the fractures healed superbly and the pins had been able to be eliminated.

Throughout this month-long course of, there was not a day that glided by that my thoughts didn’t drift off and take into consideration this explicit chicken. Resulting from her measurement, she was housed in a big enclosed house referred to as “Gap within the Wall” which is situated within the middle’s indoor Maintain space. I needed to stroll by her enclosure regularly and every day I’d maintain my breath and cross my fingers that she was nonetheless with us. It crammed me with a lot hope after I would see these large eyes search for at me.

Finally, after one other month of remedy and monitoring, it was decided that the eagle was prepared to maneuver to an out of doors enclosure. She was moved into the middle’s A3 tower on November 20 the place she stayed for about 10 days whereas acclimating to the outside. On November 30, I had the honour of with the ability to help rehabilitation supervisor Alex in transferring her to the middle’s A3 flight pen the place she at present resides. Since being in care, the eagle has grown much more in measurement and now weighs a whopping 10.3 kilos! She actually weighs much more than every other eagle at present at our Heart.

Going ahead, the plan is to assist get the eagle’s stamina again. Rehab employees enter her enclosure for day by day train periods they usually report that she struggles to make three passes within the flight pen and solely will get a couple of foot off the bottom. Every affected person has to begin someplace although and I’ll at all times stay hopeful that she continues to enhance in our care.

Whereas she has come a good distance, there may be nonetheless fairly an extended technique to go. I’ll proceed to cross my fingers till the day that I see affected person #23-3492 with the phrases “consider for launch” subsequent to her title. I stay up for the day that I can see her launched again within the wild close to the Birdsong Pleasure Backyard the place she belongs. I do know finders Tom and Lesley are wanting ahead to that day as nicely. In actuality, they’re the true heroes of this story. In the event that they wouldn’t have rallied behind this eagle, there would have been a a lot totally different end result.

The following couple of months could also be full of anxious hoping, however I’m okay with that as a result of it signifies that “Grace Paige” holds a particular place in my coronary heart endlessly. 

– Grace Leytham, Entrance Desk Coordinator

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