GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – “We feel bad it didn’t progress, but this was not unexpected.”
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Director Mike Reed says it was no surprise that the bald eagle brought to the facility on Tuesday night died Thursday morning.
Reed says the bird, which was found motionless on the ground at Kaukauna’s La Follette Park on Tuesday, was unresponsive to supportive care, which included providing the animal with warmth and oral feeding/fluids.
The eagle’s condition throughout its roughly 36 hours at Bay Beach was described as ‘weak and lethargic.’
While the exact cause of death won’t be known until test results are available, Reed says the condition that caused the bird’s illness and loss of life was likely one that came on quickly.
According to Reed, chronic injuries such as a wing problem or broken leg prevent eagles from hunting. Due to the bird’s normal weight, he says that was not the case with this bird.
When at Bay Beach, Reed says the eagle was able to stand but never picked up its head and was unresponsive to people entering the room.
Wildlife sanctuary officials credit Karen Barto for notifying them of the downed eagle on Tuesday. While efforts to save the animal were unsuccessful, they say her actions ‘gave the bird a chance to survive.’
