Sorry, the other party withdrew an eagle...

Crested Eagle

The Crested Eagle is a national second-level key protected wild animal and a top hunter in the forest. It is named "Crested Eagle" because it has a cluster of slightly upturned crest feathers behind its head.

At the beginning of this year, we rescued a crested eagle with a serious leg injury. After more than two months of treatment and recuperation, the crested eagle was successfully released into the wild on March 12.

01 Stunned Crested Eagle

More than two months ago, we rescued a crested eagle. When it first arrived, its feathers were relatively intact and there were no obvious external injuries on its appearance, but its eyes were wide open and full of vigilance, its wings were tightly folded, and its mouth was open but almost stiff. It showed strong uneasiness and resistance to the approach of humans.

In addition, we also found that it could not stand normally. It was always holding up its left foot and seemed unable to touch the ground.

The crested eagle opened its mouth and dared not move when facing humans, and its left foot could not touch the ground

We carefully examined its left foot and found that its toes and sole were extremely swollen. We immediately took X-rays of the eagle to determine what caused the swelling and pain in its sole and inability to stand.

X-rays showed that its toes were not broken, but at the same time we found two small round button-like things on the upper part of the crested eagle's legs and tail.

The crested eagle has two high-density spheres in its body.

As we were not sure what it was, we further adjusted the shooting angle. After the adjustment, we found that it was two steel balls embedded in its body, and there were signs of old fractures on the leg bones.

Two steel balls were clearly seen, and the leg bones showed signs of fracture.

Obviously, the two steel balls have been hidden in the body of the crested eagle for a long time. The external injuries have healed, and the two steel balls have been deeply embedded in its leg muscles. The broken legs have also healed on their own. It is hard to imagine how this crested eagle endured this double torture, relying on its own strong vitality to survive the long and painful wound healing stage, silently enduring the pain that ordinary people can hardly imagine.

Under the cruel test of nature, it healed its broken leg bones by itself. Although the process was difficult, it persisted until the cold winter came and it could no longer fight the cold alone. It was then discovered by rescuers and transferred to us for rescue.

02Crescent Eagle Surgery to Remove Steel Balls

Surgery is something that must be done.

However, the crested eagle was in a very weak condition at the time. Considering the risks of surgery, we carefully decided to let it rest for a while and perform the surgery after its physical condition improved.

A week later, the crested eagle gradually resumed its normal diet and its condition became stable. We then gave it general anesthesia, cleaned the wound, cut off the necrotic tissue, and sutured it, successfully removing the two steel balls that had caused the crested eagle endless pain.

Two steel balls removed from the crested eagle

After the operation, the crested eagle did not recover smoothly and its foot injury kept recurring.

As one of the top predators, the crested eagle's powerful claws are key to its survival. They can not only easily catch fish and insects, but also large prey such as squirrels and snakes. Therefore, the recovery of the claws is crucial for this crested eagle.

Crested Eagle's paw is inflamed and swollen

It has undergone several rounds of bandaging, dressing changes, incisions, and pus drainage. Each treatment was accompanied by unbearable pain, but it remained strong. While we felt sorry for it, we could only provide it with nutritious food and meticulous and patient care. We changed its "ward" for disinfection and cleaning every day, disinfected and changed its dressing every two or three days to ensure the cleanliness of the wound and promote healing.

Disinfect and change the wound of the crested eagle

After a long and agonizing month, veterinarians and rescuers devoted a lot of energy and patience, and finally saw the dawn of hope!

The veterinarian assessed that the crested eagle's foot injury no longer required special treatment and it could be discharged from the "intensive care unit"!

03 Crested Eagle is discharged from hospital

In order to welcome this strong warrior out of the hospital, we prepared a spacious, clean and disinfected cage for it in advance, giving it more space to fly and also making it easier to assess whether its flying ability is sufficient for returning to the wild.

When the crested eagle was transferred to a spacious cage, it showed strong survival instincts and natural habits. As soon as it entered the new environment, it flapped its wings and flew away without hesitation, aiming directly at the highest perch in the cage. For birds of prey like crested eagles, height is their natural pursuit - high places can overlook the whole view, effectively avoid potential threats, and ensure their own safety. It seems that it also understands that a place farther away from humans is relatively safe.

04 Crested Eagle Returns to the Wild

During this period of more than two months, the crested eagle went through a transformation from injury to recovery at the rescue center. Under the careful care of the rescuers, it gradually adapted to the new environment with its own perseverance and vitality, and carried out flight and rehabilitation training every day.

Every day during this period witnessed the Crested Eagle's growth from initial weakness to strength and vitality step by step.

It is gratifying that the Crested Owl's physical condition has improved significantly, and its weight has increased by more than 100 grams compared to when it first arrived at the rescue center. Behind this number is the proof of its constantly accumulated life energy and gradual recovery of health.

Every time it spreads its wings and flies into the sky, every time it lands smoothly, it demonstrates its powerful flying skills. In particular, its claws, which were once severely traumatized, are now able to firmly grasp the perch, indicating that it has regained its normal hunting ability and survival skills.

Based on a comprehensive assessment of the crested eagle's flying ability, hunting ability and overall health, we finally chose a sunny and breezy day to release it back into the wild.

The arrival of this day means that it will bid farewell to us and return to the familiar sky, which is its real home. We watched it spread its wings and fly away, with our hearts filled with blessings and expectations for its future life. We hope that it can fly freely in the vast sky, reproduce its former heroic appearance, and open a new and challenging chapter in its life.

After the crested eagle flew away, the rescuers were still looking at its figure

After more than two months of rescue, this crested eagle finally returned to the wild in the spring. In fact, there are many birds around us that are accidentally injured by steel balls, but not every bird has the tenacious vitality and luck of this crested eagle. For example, the fate of another mountain dove we rescued recently was completely different. It was hit by a steel ball and pierced the skin under the crop, and the wound was seriously infected. When the mountain dove was sent to the rescue center, its physical condition was very poor, and the serious wound infection made it regrettably leave this world.

Shooting with steel balls is highly inaccurate and prone to rebounding, which not only harms birds but may even endanger human safety, such as the cases of accidental injuries caused by steel balls that have been mentioned many times in news reports.

So we once again call on everyone not to use steel ball slingshots and other tools to harm birds. Not harming them is a form of protection.