Bald eagle rescued from car grill after collision in Maryland

A bald eagle became trapped in the grill of a car after a collision in Calvert County on Saturday. (Courtesy Calvert County Government via Facebook)

The bald eagle was safely removed and returned to the wild after an examination. (Courtesy Calvert County Government via Facebook)

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A Calvert County, Maryland, Animal Control officer swooped in to save a bald eagle after a collision Saturday.

A driver alerted Animal Control early Saturday that they collided with an eagle on Route 4, and that the bird was still alive and trapped in their car’s grill, according to a Facebook post from the county.

With help from the sheriff’s office, the animal control officer safely removed the eagle. An examination determined the bird was in good health and officials quickly released it back into the wild.

Bald eagles are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Both laws prohibit killing, selling or otherwise harming eagles, their nests or eggs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bald eagle was listed under the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967, but was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species 40 years later.

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