Injured bald eagle found in Bensalem now has a diagnosis. And we know where she came from
An injured bald eagle found grounded near a busy Bensalem road last week has tested positive for lead poisoning and could begin treatment for the illness as soon as Tuesday.
Since arriving at a Chalfont wildlife rehabilitation center on Sept. 21, the staff there have learned more about the 12-pound raptor, who was banded meaning a government record exists showing where and when she was born.
The female was born in 2005 in the Fort Dix, New Jersey area, which was two years before The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed bald eagles from the federal endangered species list, which effectively ended the tracking of eaglets.
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At 18, she is on the high-end of the typical lifespan of 15 to 20 years for bald eagles living in the wild, said Leigh Stalling, executive director of the Aark Wildlife and Education Center. It is also believed she is part of a mated pair with a nest in Bensalem, she added.
The medical specialists who examined the bald eagle, who Stalling suspects was hit by a car, did not find any fractured bones, but she does have superficial road rash injuries on her right wing and foot.
More concerning was that X-rays show fragments of lead in her GI tract, the most common, but potentially fatal illness among bald eagles, Stalling said. An early sign of lead poisoning in bald eagles is they have trouble flying.
The veterinarians believe the eagle is showing early signs of lead poisoning and will make a full recovery, Stalling said.
So far this year, Aark has successfully treated one other bald eagle for lead poisoning. The male bird, who lived with his mate and their eaglet on a private property in Upper Makefield, was so seriously ill he could barely lift his head when he was rescued, Stalling said.
After chelation therapy, the common treatment for lead poisoning, the bird was healthy enough within a month to be released in early June.
Medications for the latest bald eagle patient are being prepared and treatment is expected to begin on Tuesday or Wednesday, Stalling said.
“She will be feeling better in a few days,” she added.
The bald eagle was spotted on Thursday afternoon on a grassy median between an apartment complex and busy Hulmeville Road. Bensalem Animal Control Officer, Sarah Barrett, captured the raptor using a blanket and a large dog cage and transported her to Aark.
An estimated 10 eagles nests out of more than 300 known to exist in Pennsylvania are located in Bucks County, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Will bald eagle found in Bensalem recover? What we know
