Up, up and away

On Feb. 9 at noon at the Evergreen Christian School on Evergreen Mills Road in Leesburg, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center released a rehabilitated immature eagle that has been in its care for over two weeks. The young eagle who does not have a white head or tail yet was found unable to fly near a Loudoun County landfill facility.

When it was taken in, BRWC veterinary staff noticed it had abrasions on its face, a clay-like material in its mouth along with a sore—all demonstrating that it was down and uncoordinated for an extended period of time. Upon testing, the eagle had elevated levels of lead in its system (as with many eagles taken in by BRWC).

It is suspected the bird may have ingested other heavy metals as well. BRWC has been treating the bird for its lead poisoning with chelation therapy since it was admitted. Once the levels dropped, the bird was moved to BRWC’s outdoor pre-release enclosure so it could fly and demonstrate it was ready for release. 

Lead toxicity in wildlife comes primarily from wildlife eating the lead fragments of ammunition in gut piles or dead deer that were previously shot but survived long enough to get away from the hunter, or that the hunter left behind. Lead toxicity is particularly high in birds close to hunting season (as this is) and wildlife organizations have long advocated for hunters to use lead-free ammunition.

Said Christy Titus who is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and also an elementary school teacher who has taught for 30 years, “I take in about 400 orphaned animals baby mammals a year and rehabilitate them and send them back in the wild.”

Titus said she did a quick assessment and triage and let the vets know what’s coming. He is very, very feisty. He’s a juvenile bald eagle. So he has a brown head. They don’t get their white heads until they’re about five. But he is more than ready to go and that’s why he’s kind of hanging out in the car.

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, the only dedicated wildlife hospital in Northern  Virginia, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization caring for native wildlife by integrating  veterinary medicine, rehabilitation, education and research. To learn more, go to  www.blueridgewildlifectr.org.

Photos: Valerie Cury