Injured bald eagle spotted by trooper on patrol. Then comes ‘careful’ rescue, cops say
UPDATE: The rescued bald eagle has died, a spokesperson for the Indiana State Police told McClatchy News.
The original story is below.
A state trooper rescued a wounded bald eagle from danger, adding a feather in his cap, Indiana police said.
Trooper Mike Laney was patrolling State Road 63 on May 9 when he spotted the injured animal, according to an Indiana State Police news release.
“Laney carefully placed the injured eagle into his patrol car (and) transported it to a local veterinarian,” police said. “Hopefully, the eagle will be soaring again soon!”
A photo posted by police shows the bird wrapped in a blanket inside the patrol car.
A state police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.
Bald eagles, the national symbol of the United States, were facing extinction about 70 years ago due to fatal insecticides, illegal shootings and habitat destruction, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
However, conservation efforts have brought the species back from the brink of disappearance, and bald eagles are now commonly seen around the country, according to the agency.
In the 1980s, Indiana obtained 73 young eagles from Alaska and Wisconsin as part of a species reintroduction program, according to the state’s department of natural resources. The birds were placed in a nest tower on Monroe Lake and monitored.
Over the ensuing decades, their population has expanded throughout the Hoosier State, according to the department.
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