Investigators searching for suspect after baby bald eagle shot multiple times in Pennsylvania
A baby bald eagle that was shot multiple times in northern Pennsylvania is undergoing rehab treatment at a nonprofit wildlife rescue in the Pocono Mountains as officials search for a suspect.
The female eagle was discovered by the game warden Monday in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, which is about 50 miles northeast of Scranton, ABC7 reported.
The bird of prey had two bullet wounds in her wing and one in her back, the news station reported.
Officials are now investigating who shot the eagle.
It’s not the first bald eagle to be struck by gunfire. Earlier this summer, an adult bald eagle was also discovered with a bullet wound.
That eagle in Missouri was fighting for its life back in July after a gunshot injury nearly split his beak in two.
The bird, dubbed patient 24-390, was admitted to the World Bird Sanctuary’s hospital in Valley Park, a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, on July 11 with severe trauma.
Blood tests also showed that 24-390 was suffering from lead poisoning, a condition that affects over 75% of the bald eagles treated at the sanctuary.
“The beak damage is so severe that it may be beyond repair,” Kira Klebe, the sanctuary’s Rehabilitation Director said at the time.
She added that “the tissue in the affected areas looks as promising as we could hope, with signs of healthy granulation tissue beginning to fill in the wounds.”
Stitches from his previous two surgeries to stabilize the fractures and close the gap in the beak are healing well, as are the jaw fractures, Klebe said.
The first surgery involved placing cross pins on either side of the fracture, which were then secured with epoxy to create a stabilizing structure on the exterior of the beak to maintain proper alignment.
Bald eagles are protected as a national symbol of the US, and injuring one is a federal offense.
