Sunday Tribune

Injured eagle set to take to the sky again

SHANELL DANIEL shanell.daniel@inl.co.za

AFTER suffering injuries caused in a collision with a vehicle earlier this month in Durban, a juvenile crowned eagle will soon be able to spread its wings again.

Crowned eagles are a nearthreatened species as their population is decreasing.

The disposition of crowned eagles is considered nervous, constantly alert and on edge, making rescuing one quite a challenge.

The Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) had its hands full when it rescued the bird, which has not yet been named. The eagle was found by workers from the ethekwini Municipality’s parks department. They managed to contain the eagle in a shed until the Crow team got to the scene.

Director of Crow Clint Halkettsiddall arrived with the organisation’s clinic nurse, Elizna Schoeman, and immediately attended to the eagle.

The bird was found with a mouth full of blood, caused by the collision, and a bad skid mark on her chin.

“When Elizna went into the shed, the eagle had her talons gripped around a metal hosepipe reel. After many attempts to catch the bird, Elizna managed to cover her face with a raptor hood. Once the hood was on, she was able to pick her up by her talons and place her into a box and she was transported to our centre,” said Halkett-siddall.

Following a medical check-up, the eagle was taken to raptor specialist Ben Hoffman at Raptor Rescue, Camperdown.

“The rehabilitation programme differs between species and age classes. For example, very young birds may need to be trained to hunt before they can be released. In the case of this crowned eagle, it is flying well and has made a great recovery so it will be released in the same area it was found as soon as Ben is 100% happy with its flight,” said Halkett-siddall.

At least 80% of Crow’s admissions are bird life, the majority of them being garden birds which require intensive care.

Should you encounter an injured bird, you should contact Crow immediately on 031 462 1127 or drop the bird off at its centre at 15A Coedmore Avenue, Yellowwood Park, Durban.

METRO

en-za

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://sundaytribune.pressreader.com/article/281659669053246

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