A big female eagle’s exploration was recently interrupted by a power line.
Late one afternoon, PROWLS received a call for an eagle down on the Stillwater Main logging road. A team of four set out but found she was about five metres down a sheer slope with brush and debris in between.
They called PROWLS' climber extraordinaire, who arrived with climbing gear and rappelled straight over the side. The eagle, however, didn’t wait for him, and motored straight down the slope through the brush.
It was getting dark and the team had to give up. It was heartbreaking.
Two days later, they found the eagle on a ledge about ten metres straight down from the road. This time they found a steep but circuitous way down.
Coming at her from below, the eagle had no escape and was caught. They carefully put her in a duffel bag to make it easier to carry up but, with her talons, she quickly ripped the bag wide open.
Just as quickly recaptured, PROWLS president Merrilee Prior made an eagle burrito with the blanket they had carried down, which proved successful.
Back at PROWLS the eagle was given a dish of salmon and left to settle down in a large dog kennel.
She was sent off to Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) in Delta the next morning, where they determined she had a broken wing, but was not, as they feared, also suffering from an electric shock injury. The wing has been wrapped and she is now trying to bite the professionals there.
