SUMMERS COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) — On Sunday, Feb. 19, a mature bald eagle left his nest on Brooks Island in Raleigh County, West Virginia on the New River.
He left his mate to care for the nest and went hunting for food. The eagle found that meal in the form of roadkill near a high school.
The decision put the eagle on a collision course with a construction truck, and the bird was hit.
"The male was hit by a vehicle on Route 20 about three or four miles south of here. And he was eating on a deer carcass beside of the road and was startled when a car went by and he got clipped," said Wendy Perrone with the Three Rivers Avian Center.
The driver called 911 and dispatchers alerted the center.
Perrone says they responded, and it turns out the eagle's wrist was shattered into four pieces, making it difficult for him to fly. He was also suffering from a high lead content, making him very sick at the same time.
The eagle underwent surgery this week at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Princeton to repair the fracture.
"And then from there, it is a question about whether or not he can extend the wing, and if he can, can he fly? So, we have three big questions to see yet, and it's going to be months on this one," said Perrone.
While the eagle is recovering under the watchful eye of doctors, the center is keeping an eye on his mate and their nest, hoping she will continue to watch over her eggs.
"It's not unusual in a circumstance like this for the female to abandon the eggs and just give up for the season," said Perrone.
The nest is the focus of careful observation this week. The female has left the nest a few times to gather food and has returned every time. The weather is cooperating, helping to keep the eggs warm.
Now, time will tell how this rescue will end.
The eggs still have about three weeks left to go before they hatch.
