Bald Eagle Family Released Into Wild After Suspected Raccoon Attack
GLEN, Minn. (AP) — A family of three bald eagles that were rescued and treated for injuries in what appeared to be an attack by another animal have been released into the wild in eastern Minnesota.
Lt. Robert Gorecki, a conservation officer with the state Department of Natural Resources, released the birds Friday in the town of Glen, with help from members of the family who found the injured eagles on June 21 at their Clear Lake cabin. Glen is about 120 miles north of the Twin Cities.
Leslie and Ryan Donohue's four children, ranging in age from 4 to 12, spotted the two adult eagles on the ground below their nest on the family's property. They were adults, unable to fly, suffering from wounds that Gorecki speculated may have been inflicted by a raccoon. They were taken to an animal hospital, the Star Tribune reported.
An eaglet, not yet able to fly, was stranded in the nest 55 feet above. It was not injured but would have starved to death the next day or the day after, Gorecki said.
The following day an employee from Bollig Tree Service climbed the white pine and retrieved the young eagle. When he approached, another young bird, apparently a sibling, flew out of the nest and disappeared. Experts are hoping it could find roadkill or something else to eat.
The nest also contained an unhatched egg, which may have attracted a hungry raccoon.
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