A golden eagle injured by an automobile is stabilized at the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka.
The eagle, a juvenile male, was rescued Tuesday by Kathy Benner of the Juneau Raptor Center and transferred to the ARC where they can provide ongoing care for him.
“The golden eagle is stable. His protein levels are very low,” said Kara Deshazo, an avian care specialist at the ARC. “He also has head trauma. Right now we’re having to tube feed him.”
The bird weighs about six pounds, Deshazo said, which is about 2-3 pounds short of where he ought to be.
“The thing that’s in his favor is he has no broken bones,” Deshazo said. “He’s not very reactive. He’s just kind of out of it.”
A juvenile male golden eagle was rescued off of Egan Drive and sent to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka after being struck by a car Nov. 19, 2019. (Courtesy Photo | Juneau Police Department)
The ARC will take time to feed the young bird during his recovery. Initially, Deshazo said, they’ll be tube feeding him a high-protein mix to help him recover his energy. If he continues to recover, they’ll switch to bear or deer meat, which is much more energy efficient to digest than something with bones or fur.
“It’s unique to have a golden eagle. We don’t really see them in the southeast,” Deshazo said. “I’ve been here for 3 years and I’ve only seen one. This is our second.”
If he continues to improve, Deshazo said, they’ll look at rehoming him somewhere more conducive to the lifestyle of golden eagles, which typically prefer to nest on barren hillsides, as opposed to Juneau’s thickly wooded mountains.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
