WASHINGTON — An injured bald eagle, rescued from the waters of a Maryland creek over the weekend, has been euthanized due to its injuries.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue had helped local animal services rescue an injured bald eagle that was struggling to get out of Little Bennett Creek in Clarksburg on Saturday.
Updating-25800 blk Frederick Rd. MCFRS assisting with bald eagle rescue. @mcfrsPIO @DavidPazos15 pic.twitter.com/mOsRpoSSaO
— Pazos@mcfrsPIO (@DavidPazos15) November 17, 2018
William Cosey discovered the eagle and quickly informed the fire department about the distressed bird. In a video posted by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue on its Twitter feed, Cosey said he was waiting for a friend to come help him do some work on his barn.
“And I see something bouncing around. And when I noticed what it was, it was a bald eagle, and he seen me, he got a little nervous and went into the creek,” Cosey said. “So I ran over to the fire department and let someone know what was going on, and got back here as quick as I could to make sure he didn’t go any further down the creek.”
Update~25800 blk Frederick Rd (Clarksburg) MCFRS continuing assisting wildlife rescue of a bald eagle. William Cosey first on scene describing what he saw. @mcfrsPIO @DavidPazos15 pic.twitter.com/nMRxZyYVtm
— Pazos@mcfrsPIO (@DavidPazos15) November 17, 2018
David Pazos, the county’s fire and rescue Public Information Officer, posted a series of videos on Twitter showing the nervous eagle flopping and floating against the current as animal services tried to scoop the bird out of the creek with a net.
The rescue team succeeded in stopping the bird’s progress, and a wader wrapped it in a cloth and removed it from the creek.
Update~ 25800 blk Frederick Rd (Clarksburg) MCFRS successfully assisted wildlife rescue in the rescue of an adult, injured bald eagle. @mcfrsPIO @DavidPazos15 pic.twitter.com/d3sNfmbw0v
— Pazos@mcfrsPIO (@DavidPazos15) November 17, 2018
By Sunday morning, though, it appeared that the bird’s injuries had become too grave for it to bear. Suzanne Shoemaker, director of the Owl Moon Raptor Center, told The Washington Post that the damage to its wing was determined to be permanent.
The bird was euthanized. “It was terrible,” Shoemaker told the Post. “She was a gorgeous specimen.”
Sadly Damage to the bird’s wing was irreparable & the bird has been euthanized @WashPostMD See: https://t.co/SjW8Vsuo7P https://t.co/s9KfLOIIwV
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 18, 2018
