LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Bald eagle found severely injured in Bernheim Forest has died, but it’s how the majestic bird died that has environmental groups concerned.
It was just after Christmas when a visitor at Bernheim Forest spotted the Bald eagle injured along a creek bed.
Her injuries alarmed those at Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky.
The young eagle showed signs of severe lead poisoning and neurological issues.
A Bald eagle was found severely injured at Bernheim Forest.
“When she got to us she was barely able to life her head. She couldn't move. She seemed paralyzed. She was laying flat in a carrier,” Tiffany Dicks, Raptor Rehabilitation Facilities Director, said. “The only explanation is that she just became so weak from the lead poisoning that she probably fell from a tree and was unable to fly and unable to catch her fall and just landed on her abdomen down on those rocks.”
It’s believed the bird ate from a carcass that had lead shot inside. Also, lead levels form metal sinkers used for fishing could have affected the fish she ate, causing her to get sick.
A piece of lead the size of a grain of rice is enough to kill an eagle.
“Once lead gets in the system it slowly builds and builds to a toxic level because it settles in their bones and their fat cells,” Dicks said.
A Bald eagle found at Bernheim Forest showed signs of severe lead poisoning.
After two weeks, the nearly four-year-old bird passed away.
“We did the best we could, we kept her as comfortable as possible and she just - her body gave up,” said Dicks. “She was a feisty one, she was a fighter, and it really broke our heart when she passed but there was nothing that we could do with internal trauma that horrible.”
The Bald eagle population around Bernheim Forest and Kentucky has been very good. Raptor Rehab sees anywhere from 300-400 injured birds of prey a year, but very few are Bald eagles.
The group says support for the bird has been received from around the country.
“Just the outpouring of love and concern and prayers for this eagle has been wonderful for us,” Dicks said.
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