The bald eagle found on an Emporia rooftop on St. Patrick’s Day is recovering nicely.
After it was found by Emporia Police, the bird was transferred to the custody of Kansas Wildlife and Parks agent Tanner Houck, who then brought the bird to Operation WildLife the following day. Operation WildLife Executive Director Diane Johnson says there was a fear the eagle may have been infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which is now scattered across Kansas, but blood testing indicated acute lead poisoning instead.
Operation WildLife quarantined the eagle and started using a special agent to safely metabolize and excrete the lead. The bird also was fed a liquid protein diet by IV through March 23 before a gradual transition to a “more suitable” meat diet. The bird’s condition gradually improved, and over the weekend it passed its first pellet — meaning the digestive tract is fully functional.
Johnson says the eagle should make a full recovery, although there is currently no word on when it will be released back into the wild. There is currently no word on how the eagle got lead into its system. Johnson says birds can ingest lead fragments, usually from gut piles, and get poisoned that way.
