BUTLER COUNTY — Area deputies and a conservation agency teamed up to help rescue an injured bald eagle.
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Butler County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to reports of a large injured bird in the roadway near U.S. 127 and Oxford Middletown Road in Milford Township, according to a post on social media.
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When deputies arrived, they discovered that the injured bird was actually an American Bald Eagle.
Deputies contacted RAPTOR Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates birds of prey, who responded to safely retrieve the eagle.
The eagle was taken to the RAPTOR Inc facility to get specialized care.
In an update from RAPTOR Inc shared by the sheriff’s office, a spokesperson said that the eagle did not have any obvious fractures but was definitely injured in the left leg/foot.
“I’m hoping this is just a soft tissue injury that will just need some TLC, but we will need to get some X-rays to be sure,” the spokesperson said. ″Luckily the Eagle is able to stand on both feet, and otherwise it appears to be a healthy bird that has not been missing any meals!"
The spokesperson added that the eagle is considered a juvenile, but not a baby. Bald eagles reach nearly full adult size during their first year of life, so juvenile birds are often just as large as the adults.
Eagles are considered fully mature adults around 5 years of age. This is typically when they fully develop their bright white head and tail and are old enough to breed.
The spokesperson said they suspect the eagle is around 1 to 2 years old.
The eagle was given medications for pain and inflammation and fed a large meal. It is resting indoors in the RAPTOR Inc ICU, where it will be monitored closely to assess the severity of its injuries.
The spokesperson said that if the eagle does make a full recovery, they plan to release it back into the wild around the area it was found in.
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