SEQUIM — A bald eagle shot earlier this month is showing signs of recovery, although he remains in intensive care.
“We are happy to report that the young eagle is starting to show signs of progress in his recuperation,” said Matthew Randazzo, spokesman for the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center in Sequim, on Thursday.
“He’s getting loud and giving us hell when we approach,” said Jaye Moore, director of the center. “That shows he’s starting to feel a little better.”
The eagle, found shot in the left wing in a rain-soaked field in Beaver on Dec. 15, is eating regularly after having undergone surgery Wednesday to clean and treat the wing damaged by what looks to be a .22-caliber bullet.
“He’s also getting loud and feisty and ornery again, which are all great signs from a recovering eagle,” said Moore, who has rescued and rehabilitated wildlife for 28 years.
“Ever since we nearly lost the eagle on Monday, we’ve been taking it slow,” she added. “That approach has been paying off.”
The long-term prognosis for the eagle, which is under care at the Greywolf Veterinary Hospital in Sequim, is unclear, Randazzo said.
“We’re waiting to see if the eagle can heal itself and naturally bridge the fracture in the ulna bone in his left wing,” he said. “We won’t know if he can fly or be released for a long time.”
Both the Raptor Center and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife are seeking tips on who shot the bird.
“The search for the shooter . . . is still ongoing, as are our fundraising efforts to pay for the care of the bird,” Randazzo said.
Because the bird is a juvenile, its coloring is brown. It hasn’t yet developed the trademark white feathers of adult bald eagles.
Bald eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
A first-offense violation of the act can result in a fine of $100,000, imprisonment for one year or both. Penalties increase for additional offenses, and a second violation of the act is a felony.
Tips may be reported to the center by e-mailing Randazzo at Matthew@NWRaptorCenter.com and by phoning state Fish and Wildlife at 877-933-9847.
For more information on the center, visit www.nwraptorcenter.com or www.facebook.com/northwestraptorcenter.
