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Raptor captured and rehabilitated

Happy tale: exciting eagle rescue and eventual release at Interlakes
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Jim Smith released this mature bald eagle

An injured bald eagle prompted a dramatic and thrilling capture – and its subsequent release – by a Hathaway Lake couple.

Jim Smith of Moosehaven Resort says some guests found the huge raptor motionless in the driveway upon returning from a fishing trip.

Unsure of the appropriate actions to help the eagle, he contacted the Conservation Officer Service, which told him to call Tammy Zacharias at the Second Chance Wildlife Rescue (SCWR) facility in Quesnel.

Zacharias then provided Smith and his wife, Kathi Conway, with instructions to carefully cover the bird for capture, if they were able to get close enough.

"My wife and I went out, I walked right up behind it, gently put the blanket on and put it in the box. [Kathi] was standing well back holding the flashlight, saying 'you be careful now'."

This was done in the dark of late evening and, therefore, the eagle had an overnight stay at the resort. However, Smith says it was lying so still, he expected it to be dead by daybreak.

"In the morning, I thought it looked a bit better and I asked Tammy [Zacharias] about feeding it because I had a bucket with a bunch of fish 'stuff' in it, and she said 'well you can try it'. So I put that in there and he ate the whole thing."

Smith says he brought the raptor to the South Cariboo Visitor Centre (SCVC) later that day to meet with SCWR volunteer Sue Barton. She transported it to Dr. Doug Magnowski at the Animal Care Hospital in Williams Lake who donates his time to examine and treat local wildlife injuries.

"They didn't get to X-ray it for a couple days and [by then] the leg was starting to work, which apparently had something wrong with it."

From there, the bird went to the SCWR for a few weeks rehabilitation, when Smith got some good news from Zacharias.

"They said they were feeding it two fish a day and it was ready to come back, so they transported it back [visitor centre] and we brought it out here and released it."

It was a thrilling experience to see the eagle return strong and healthy, he notes, but also a heart-pounding experience.

Smith says he wasn't certain how safe he was handing such a large and "ferocious looking" bird of prey with a "pretty big wingspan" - not to mention a sharp beak and razor-sharp talons.

"I'm picking it up out of the box and, of course, I'm trying to be gentle with the [eagle], and I've got the two wings ... I can't get one wing out from under my arm and [then] it is spread out in my face and I'm bent way back away from this thing.

"He didn't make any effort to peck at me, but he also wasn't keen on being handled. Then, I just kind of threw him up into the air."

The eagle immediately flew into a tree where Smith watched it for a while and then the bird left, but returned later that day to take another gander at his rescuer.

Zacharias, who owns and operates SCWR, says it isn't known how the bird got injured, but an electrical shock from a power line is suspected due to the paralysis followed by a speedy and full recovery.

"He was really skinny, so he just 'pigged out' for two weeks, and then was good to go."

It was "neat" that Smith reported it. It seems the raptor's mate was at the resort calling for the absentee eagle regularly, she says, adding eagles mate for life.

The SCWR also takes in deer and other wildlife, but Zacharias notes it rehabilitates "tons of eagles," as it’s the only facility that accepts raptors from Cache Creek to Northern British Columbia.

People who see an eagle on the ground should try to help them out rather than leaving them there, she explains, as this isn't a natural place for them to be.

In B.C., a permit is required to possess any wildlife – alive, dead or parts – so it is important to contact a licensed shelter and/or notify authorities immediately upon finding any.

For instructions on rescuing an injured raptor and to arrange for rehabilitation, call SCWR at 250-747-0275, or Dr. Magnowski at 250-392-5510 (24-hours).