"Coyote", Bald Eagle Trapped in Marathon County in January, Goes to Outdoor Flight

Our weather has been absolutely balmy, at least for Northern WI. It was 43 degrees F. today. It's time to move birds that have been inside all winter to their outdoor quarters.



( Photo: This Bald Eagle is "Coyote". He can hardly believe that he is about to go outdoors and start the next phase of his rehabiliation.)

Today was a good day for "Coyote", the adult male Bald Eagle admitted in late January after having been trapped in heavy steel jaw traps meant for coyotes. He has been inside, first in intensive care and then in transitional care enclosures since being that time. Circulation is compromised in jaw trap injuries. It is the nature of the injury. Birds suffering this type of injury must stay in a warm environment to facilitate the healing.

We will watch Coyote very carefully now that he is outside. If he suffers a set back with his leg, he could lose it. That fact puts our staff on high alert.



( Photo: Alberta holds the eagle while I draw blood from him. His blood was checked for a lead level as well as the usual battery of tests to make sure he is in good condition and will do well outdoors.)



( Photo: Alberta and Katie demonstrate how to read a hematocrit for Amber . The results were encouraging. When admitted the eagle was very anemic. He lost a great deal of blood at the trap site. Now, he has an excellent packed cell volume.)



( Photo: Katie uses a refractometer to do a serum Total Protein. This test is one we can do in minutes at our clinic. It gives us a good indication of the eagles nutriional status as well as if the inflammation in his leg has resolved as well as it appears.)

Everything checked out. Coyote was put into the huge eagle flight building. Not only will be be with other eagles now, but this is where he will be until he is released to the wild. He has already started working on rebuilding his flight muscles. It will be awhile before "Coyote" can be released, but at least his future looks brighter now. We are very excited and so is he!



( Photo: This is a photo of "Coyotes" leg when he was admitted in late January.)



(Photo: Amber has her first close up look and personal expereince of a Bald Eagle patient while Alberta holds him.)

The release of this Bald Eagle will be monitored . We want to make sure his mate has not found a new male in his absense. She should be waiting, but it does not always work out that way. Humans don't have a corner on the market to drama in relationships. Birds have plenty as well.

Tomorrow we will do the final packing for the International Festival of Owls in Houston, MN. If you attend come on up and say hi.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Updates on Trapping Injured Eagles and Flu Overtakes Us

We have been hit with a round of cold and flu here at REGI including me. I thought we had escaped the viruses this year and then ... a sniffle started, then one employee after another went down like a wave.

I do have some great news and updated photos of some of the Bald Eagles that had trapping injuries. I will share those and hope tomorrow I have a little more stamina to write.



( Photo: The Bald Eagle we call "Trapper" continues to improve. You can see his foot ( L.) is still swollen and not 100% functional, but he has not lost any toes and is using the leg well.)




( Photo: Bald Eagle from the Town of Texas in Marathon County that was caught in a coyote trap. )

We are cautiously optimistic about both of these eagles, but recovery will be an extended period, as not only the tissue has to mend, but also blood routes reestablished in the affected legs and feet, as well as nerves that were severely damaged.

Sadly, we lost the lead-poisoned Bald Eagle a few nights ago. Lead wins another one. I wish the folks who think lead is not a problem in our environment could spend a few days with us at REGI.


( Photo: Adult Bald Eagle dying of lead poisoning. )

I am off to get some sleep and try to get over this monster virus that lurks.

Wash your hands everyone::). Stay well!

Marge Gibson © 2010

Bald Eagle Updates, New Treatment Options

( Photo: The Bald Eagle we call "Trapper," was caught in leg-hold trap in October. His story was on the blog in October and on the back page of our recent newsletter.)

We have updates on our Bald Eagle patients. The photo above is "Trapper," the adult Bald Eagle that was caught up in a trap in October. He continues to improve. He does not yet have full movement of his toes on the left foot due to the swelling. He is using the foot, however, and we remain hopeful he will regain full use of his foot. It is a long process for the tissue and the nerves to repair in a compression or crushing injury.

News reports from the recent earthquake in Haiti brought to light the horror of crushing injuries suffered by victims of the quake. We read about shocking field amputations of limbs. It is the same kind of injury a leg-hold trap causes on the foot/leg of a trapped animal. Before anyone gets upset thinking I am comparing the horror of the earthquake to our patients, I am not. It is just a reference, since the serious type of injury to tissue and nerves is involved. When nerves and tissue have been too long without circulation or the injury to too severe, the only option is amputation.


(Photo: The treatments for injuries suffered by leg-hold traps are varied. They are all labor intensive for both the patient and the REGI staff. Here the adult Bald Eagle admitted last week has his leg soaked in very warm water to stimulate circulation to the affected leg and foot.

Just as each of our patients is different, so too are their injuries. While all leg- hold trap injuries have similar problems, some require more intensive or creative approaches to give the best possible result. We are constantly trying to improve our techniques and in some cases try new approaches to the medical problems. Recently, we started using leeches on the feet of patients with crushing injuries. The jury is still out as to the success of the new treatment. We hope the leech therapy will increase circulation and shorten the time the birds spend in rehabilitation.



(Photo: This adult Bald Eagle has a medical leech on his foot. Notice the dark area on the toes.)

We have several patients we are using leeches on, including the Great Horned Owls with trap injuries. Leeches, and age old therapy, are being used more frequently in human medical practice...so we may find success. We hope so.




( Photo: This adult Bald Eagle is taking a bath/shower. The fuzzy photo is a result of his vigorous bathing not a moving camera. )

I will leave you this mornng with a fun photo. This is the Bald Eagle admitted under the title "Double Whammy from Marathon County." Birds love to bathe. When they are indoors in intensive care or winter quarters, it is hard to have tubs or pools large enough for them to bathe on their own. Instead, we put them in a shower and they have learned to use it for their bathing needs. They enjoy the time in the shower, as you can see in the photo above.

We have had several new admits this weekend, including another lead-poisoned Bald Eagle. My camera had an accident the other day, and we were not able to get any photos for you. I will soon.

Have a good day everyone.
Marge Gibson ©2010

MacKenzie Friends Group Presentation, More Bald Eagle Leg-Hold Trappings

I had a terrific time Thursday night talking to the Friends of Mackenzie Environmental Center in Poynette. What a wonderful group of people. We had a nice time, even though most of my power point presentation disappeared into cyberland somewhere. Gratefully, we were able to enjoy the birds I brought. I neglected to get some photos of the presentation. Perhaps some of the folks will send me a few so I can get them on the blog. Thanks to everyone there. Friends groups are invaluable volunteers for groups like Mackenzie and REGI, and no one knows that or respects their contribution more than I do.

It was late when I got home. I was tired, but happy to know such good folks are working for wildlife and the environment in our state. It will take everyone doing their part to make a difference in our world. That is a fact.


( Photo: Adult male Bald Eagle with severe injuries to his left leg and foot from a leg hold trap set for a coyote.)

Friday morning hit with a bang with a call about yet another adult Bald Eagle in a leg-hold trap set for a Coyote. This time it was an illegal trap set in a nearby county. The DNR Wardens and Biologist were called to investigate and found the Bald Eagle caught up in the trap. They were able to get him out of the trap and transported him partway to REGI where I met them and took him the remainder of the way to the clinic.

( Photo: This banded adult Bald Eagle has a crushing injury to the leg, high up in the feathered area, as well as the toes. )

The injuries in the photo look like little "cuts" but reality are crushing injuries that destroy nerves and cause tissue death. This is particularly true in cases where the bird is held in the trap for an extended period. ( traps are not always checked everyday and in some cases are not required to be.) The pressure of the jaw trap cuts off circulation to the leg/foot. In cold country like WI, that lack of circulation makes the leg susceptible to frost bite. Now, you have not only a compression of the tissue and nerves but tissue death from freezing.

This adult Bald Eagle was banded in the nest. We have already called the band number in to the Bird Banding Laboratory. They will be able to tell us who banded him, where he was banded, and even the date he was banded. The researcher may well know who his parents were, etc. Sadly, with the State of WI cutbacks, the eagle and raptor banding programs were pretty much eliminated ten years ago or more. These days, raptor or avian biologists band birds on their own time when possible, but it is no longer part of the state program. We've learned so much about various species including Bald Eagles through the years banding was done. There is still so much to learn. It is a shame the banding was not able to continue. It is one of those programs the public is hardly aware of until it is gone, along with the future data.


The prognosis is not good for this Bald Eagle. An eagle with one leg cannot survive in the wild because it cannot hunt adequately to feed itself, let alone a family. A heavy-bodied bird like an eagle cannot even live in captivity with only one leg. The eagle's entire weight centered on only one foot creates a fatal foot problem called Bumblefoot.

We are going to do everything possible, as we always do, for him and hope we beat the odds.

I feel like I have to apologize to these magnificent birds that have survived the 60-70% mortality of first-year raptors. Only the best of the best live to become adults and then they are taken in such a horrible manner.



(Photo: Some of the wonderful people that rescued the Medford Mill Pond,Domestic Geese on Friday afternoon. )

We did have some good news yesterday afternoon. The group of seven domestic geese that were dumped on Mill Pond in Medford were all rescued without so much as a ruffled feather, at least on the geese. They were transported to a terrific hobby farm where they can live out their lives with other geese. By all accounts the geese were visibly relieved to see a barn with straw, protection from predators and other geese. Thanks to the group of people that came together to save them.

Rosie, the domestic goose encased in ice that came into care at REGI last week, is doing wonderfully. She and our resident gander are happily in love, preening and caressing each other with great vigor. She does have vision loss in the eye near the site where the dog bit her head, but that should not be a problem as long as she lives in a protected environment.
And.. the gander seems not to care. :)

More patients keep coming in and I am up to my eyebrows in end-of-year paperwork.
Have a good weekend everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Adult Bald Eagle Rescued from Leg Hold Trap, Great... Bald Eagle Leg Hold Trap Injury, Bald Eagle Rescue, Great-horned Owl

First posted October 26, 2006 ( We had a glitch with our program sorry.)



( Photo: Wet and nearly lifeless this adult male Bald Eagle was rescued by some caring individuals from a leg hold trap in the Wisconsin River. He hardly resembles the proud symbol of America in this condition.)

Our day started out fairly uneventful that is until this evening. We received a call from Andy Goretski saying he and a friend found an adult Bald Eagle in a leg hold trap on the Wisconsin River. They were able to get the trap off the eagles leg. The eagle was past the point of fighting for his life. They laid him on the shore and called REGI.

Don and I jumped in the truck and headed towards a half way point where we met up with the heroes of this story, the people that rescued the eagle from the Wisconsin River.



( Photo: The Bald Eagle was in very critical condition. He was so hypothermic I wrapped him in heated blankets and put warmed pads under his wings and chest for the remained of the trip to Antigo and REGI.)

Once back at REGI we used a blow dryer to dry the eagles feathers. We tube fed him warmed emaciation diet to begin warming him from the inside. He stood briefly when we put him into the critical care box, but sadly the foot that was in the trap remained balled up and is discolored. We are hoping the circulation returns to the foot and leg soon, but it is a very serious situation. We have no idea how long the poor eagle was trapped at the site. Trappers are suppose to check their traps every 24 hours, but the trap involved in this incident was an illegal trap and therefore may not have been checked for days or longer.



( Photo: Warming pads and warmed blankets started the process of returning the body temperature of the Bald Eagle while we were still in transit to REGI.)



( Photo: The Bald Eagle struggled so long and hard to break free from the leg hold trap that he injured both wings in the process. We will not know how seriously until we can examine him when he is in more stable condition.)



( Photo: The left foot of the Bald Eagle suffered lack of circulation from the leg hold trap. )



( Photo: Safe at last but this handsome Bald Eagle has a long way to go to recovery. )

We do have a bit of good news today. The Great-horned Owl that came in last night shot in the right wing is improving. She is still being tube fed and will be for at least another week, but her spirit is returning and her eyes are open. That is a good thing.



( Photo: The Great-horned Owl that came in last night has her eyes open and is aware of her surroundings.)

It will be a long night so I will sign off and hope for good news in the morning. We are so grateful to the wonderful folks that rescued the Bald Eagle tonight and the Great-horned Owl last night. I always say that we can help injured wildlife but it is often the public that find them and rescue them. You are our heroes. Thank you so much.

( Update 6:00 A.M. Monday 10-26-09 The eagle made it through the night. Tubed him 50ccs of ematiation diet at 5:30 AM which he kept down. Of concern the left wing was "under" him as he lay when I checked on him. Not using the left foot at all yet. Starvation is also an issue. He was so wet last night we were not able to weigh him. He is more comfortable and resting. I am off to bed.)

Marge Gibson © 2009

Updates on Eagles, Vulture and Coot

It was a tough day yesterday. The adult trapped Bald Eagle had a serious crash. He developed pneumonia. By noon I thought we would lose him.



( Photo: My grandson feeding the male Bald Eagle small pieces of meat. A gentle bird, this Bald Eagle just seems to look at us and wonder "Why"? )

Our veterinarians came through with an injectable form of a different antibiotic. Within a few hours the eagle looked better. Pneumonia is a very difficult illness in birds due to their tiny but very efficient lungs. Lungs are one area where birds are very different than mammals. Keep us in your thoughts that he can pull out of this.

We have been told that they found a name and address on the trap and therefore it was a legal set. We get trapped eagles in every year. It is not an easy thing on any level. I am not anti-sportsmen, but I do not think it is fair that we foot the bill and care for these magnificent eagles that were simply fishing in the wrong place. Trapping is less a sport than a business. My private frustration is there seems to be no sense of responsibility in these cases. It seems to be more a sense of someones "right" to do it. In all the years I have done this, I have only had one trapper horrified at having caught a "non-target" species. He cared, I wish they all did. Forgive my grumbling but I think it is valid in this case.



( Photo: The young Bald Eagle admitted with the wing fracture voices her opinion.)

On the other side of things the young Bald Eagle with the wing fracture is doing well. Her sassy personality is good for us especially with the sad case next to her. Her DNA needs to be out there for the future.

I picked up a young Turkey Vulture with a wing fracture and an American Coot that has been hit by a car at the same stop yesterday. The Turkey Vulture was transported by DNR Biologist Chris Cold from Ladysmith area. Chris is an amazing person, great biologist, educator and all around great guy. I wish we could clone him.

The Turkey Vulture was found wing an injured wing at least ten days after the other vultures migrated from the area. The little guy was scared! I put him in with my adult foster parent Turkey Vulture when we got back to REGI. The little guy could not believe his eyes! The adult actually fed him within minutes of meeting him for the first time. He reverted to babyhood and gladly accepted being treated like a fledgling. The other young Turkey Vulture admitted last week is also doing well in the company of our foster parents. What a difference those adults make for the frightened babes. We could learn so much about parenting from birds. They do not have to be their biologic young for them to care for and protect them.


( Photo: Turkey Vulture foster mom (on stump) helps the young vultures feel comfortable after the trauma of having been first injured and then left alone when their biologic parents had to migrate south. REGI is filled with amazing stories like this. )


We admitted a young American Coot that had been hit by a car. This guy is so young we have to wonder what his folks were thinking when they had such a late brood! The staff loves him! Within an hour he was happily eating and swimming. He has an injured leg, but everything else seems to be working.



( Photo: This American Coot was hit by a car. )



( Photo: American Coot swims in the clinic tub. )

Today will busy. We are releasing a Great-horned Owl in the Wausau area at 6:00 pm if anyone is interested in seeing the release give us a call for the location. This is a young bird that was raised at REGI by foster parents. She is SOOO Beautiful. Photos will be on the blog tomorrow!

Have a good day and keep us in your thoughts.
Marge Gibson © 2009