 |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
 |
| True Stories |
| The Trial and Tribulations of Bald Eaglet NX by Sarah McGowan Late afternoon on December 1, Diana O’Connor, wildlife rehabilitator at the Wild Bunch Wildlife Refuge, received a call from animal control officer Kevin Keeve in Northumberland County. Kevin told her that he had just picked up an injured eagle that had been feasting on a deer on a local road, and that he was on his way to bring the eagle to her for help. Diana has received many injured eagles over the years so she knew exactly what had to be done. There are very strict rules about working with eagles, including contacting the local Federal game office to file a report. Just as it was getting dark, the injured eagle arrived. Diana, with assistance from Ron Moon, a caregiver, examined the eagle and determined that it was a seven-pound female juvenile bald eagle and that it needed immediate attention from a veterinarian. Diana provided the eagle with much needed fluids, contacted the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and arranged for the eagle’s transportation to the Center. The juvenile bald eagle was put into a large carrier, kept warm, and within several hours, arrived at the Wildlife Center. While Diana has been a first responder to many bald eagles and all native Virginia Wildlife, she was in for some surprises; this eaglet has a name (NX), is a worldwide celebrity, and this was the third time NX had to be rescued! To get a real idea of the challenges NX has faced, we will have to go back to the Spring 2011… In mid-March 2011, a pair of bald eagles became the proud parents of three eaglets in the Norfolk Botanical Garden of Virginia. Thanks to a partnership between the Garden, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), and the WVEC-TV, viewers from across the world could watch this family online through a strategically placed webcam. Sadly, on April 27th, 2011, the mother eagle was struck and killed by a jet landing at Norfolk International Airport. (Coincidentally, her first mate met the same fate 8 years earlier.) Hundreds of faithful viewers posted their condolences on the webcam’s website, and many wondered what was going to happen to this now single-parent family. VDGIF wildlife biologists observed the nest and determined that capturing the 5 week-old chicks and admitting them to the Wildlife Center of Virginia would give them the greatest chance at survival. The male bald eagle did attempt to feed his chicks, however, this task would become increasingly difficult as the chicks grew. “The amount of food they will require as they grow will increase exponentially, likely exceeding the hunting capacity of even the most capable provider,” said a news release from the Norfolk Botanical Garden. The three chicks were captured and transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, where they were examined. NV (NX’s brother) was treated for signs of lead exposure, and NZ (NX’s sister) was treated for a chip fracture found in her leg. Shortly after they were admitted, the eaglets were moved to a nest hand-built by Center staff and volunteers. Once again, a webcam was installed so that viewers could continue to watch their development. It was determined that July 27th would be the eaglets’ release date. NX was outfitted with a transmitter to allow VDGIF biologists, Wildlife Center staff, and visitors the Wildlife Center’s website, to follow NX’s movements for two years. This type of tracking is invaluable to studying bald eagle behavior. On July 27th, the eaglets were released at Berkeley Plantation before an audience of 1,300 spectators! While NV and NZ took off beautifully, NX struggled. She took off and flew over the crowd and the treetops, but then landed on the ground in a field nearby. VDGIF biologists and Wildlife Center staff noted that she seemed tired and stressed. They recaptured her in a transport carrier and allowed her to cool down in the van. Later that day, NX was released once again. Her flight was strong, however she still landed on the ground. While this can happen to young eaglets in the wild, they would normally have an adult there to fend for them. The VDGIF biologists did not feel comfortable leaving NX alone in the field and decided to recapture her and bring her back to the Wildlife Center. NX spent the next several weeks in her flight cage. While recuperating, one of the doctors at the Wildlife Center noticed something interesting. NX was making sounds that were very different than those that her now released siblings made. According to the Wildlife Center’s blog, NX made “younger cheeping distress calls, rather than the angry adult eagle calls” that NV and NZ used prior to being release. In the wild, not all eagles leave the nest at the same time, and Wildlife Center staff thinks that NX just needed extra time in the “nest” to mature. On August 30th, NX was once again released at the Berkeley Plantation. After flying across the field and landing in a boxwood tree, NX finally took off, gaining altitude, and perched in a 15 – 20 foot tree by the James River. Success! Biologists and avid NX fans were able to continue tracking NX via her GPS transmitter, until December, when she was injured and brought back to the Wildlife Center – which is where THIS story began. NX has continued to recuperate since being dropped off by Diana. In fact, NX was just moved into one of the Center’s largest flight pens. For continued updates on NX’s progress, visit the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s blog: http://www.wildlifecenter.org/wp/2011/12/injured-nx/. Lead: Silent, but Deadly As we mentioned in the article above, NX’s brother was treated for lead exposure. Unfortunately, lead poisoning is common among eagles and vultures because they sometimes feed on the dead. In our area, that can be on game (usually deer) that have been shot and not retrieved, or, more commonly, tissues (i.e. entrails, heart, lungs, and liver) discarded by hunters after field dressing. Because many hunters still use lead bullets, the meat is contaminated. According to the Center for Biological Diversity and the American Bird Conservancy, more than 20 million birds and other animals die each year because of lead poisoning. There are so many interested parties involved, that the simple banning of lead bullets has proved to be difficult. You can read about efforts to bad lead ammunition by organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity below (see links). What can you do? |
|
There is quite a bit of information on this topic. The following are a few links to further information on the impact of lead on wildlife and the movement to ban lead bullets. Links: Video about three recent (January 2012) bald eagle deaths in the DC-metro area – no coincidence that this follows the deer-hunting season: Lead-poisoned bald eagle from Prince William County dies Information on the Center for Biological Diversity’s “Get the Lead Out” campaign: GET THE LEAD OUT Get the Lead Out” FAQ – Great Informational Resource: Questions and Answers on the Lead Ban Petition to the EPA EPA Fails to Address Lead Poisoning of Wildlife, Then Announces Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: Discussion of lead ammunition on the Audobon Society’s blog (May 2011): The Great Debate over Lead Bullets |