• Outdoors Outdoors

Family springs into action after spotting bald eagle in heartbreaking situation: 'Knew that something was wrong'

"He was acting really weird."

One Canadian family came to the aid of an injured bald eagle, helping to save its life.

Photo Credit: iStock

Upon spotting an injured bald eagle, a family stepped in to save its life.

Had the Pocha family not seen the suffering bird in Cranbrook, British Columbia, the animal likely would not have survived, according to Interior News.

Tanya and Reg Pocha, along with their son, Jaxon, noticed it as they drove through a rural area.

The family saw the eagle sitting in an odd way, which attracted their attention. 

"He was acting really weird, and my husband, who has worked with birds before, knew that something was wrong with him," Tanya told Interior News.

After carefully picking up the eagle in a coat, they took it to the Steeples Veterinary Clinic. Since the bird was found near a landfill, experts guessed that it could have lead poisoning.

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After a period of quarantine, it was sent to the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society so it could heal and get ready for release back into the wild.

According to Tanya, the eagle was eating again and reacting well to treatment.

The animal kingdom can be a brutal place, but thanks to animal sanctuaries and caring individuals, injured creatures can be given a second chance at life. 

In 1978, bald eagles were classified as endangered across 48 U.S. states. After tireless conservation work, they were taken off the endangered list in 2007, when population numbers skyrocketed. In 1963, there were thought to be around 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles, and now there are an estimated 71,400 nesting pairs.

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Bald eagles and their habitats are still at risk from mining operations, poachers, and lead poisoning.

If you come across an injured bald eagle, the best thing to do is to call your local veterinarian or bird rescue center, which will be best equipped to save the creature without causing it additional stress.

"Do not attempt to feed the bird," the National Eagle Center instructs. "Young raptors need their parents or a qualified wildlife rehabilitator to feed them a very specific diet in order to survive."

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