Injured Bald Eagle To Be Euthanized
The bald eagle that was rescued from train tracks near the Morgan Blvd. Metro Station during Wednesday evening’s rush hour has sustained severe enough injuries that the bird will be euthanized, according to D.C. City Wildlife.
After a thorough examination, review of the x–rays, and consultations with other wildlife veterinarians, the opinion of the experts is unanimous and sad: the multiple fractures in the bird’s wing cannot be repaired and humane euthanasia is the only responsible option.
— City Wildlife (@DCCityWildlife) March 14, 2019
A team of eight officers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, along with transit workers, found the eagle stuck underneath one of the train tracks in Landover, Maryland. They approached it with blankets to safely cover and capture it. Once the bird was removed from the tracks, it was placed in a blue plastic container and transported to City Wildlife for an examination.
According to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rescue efforts lasted about two hours before train traffic was restored. WMATA initially single-tracked Blue and Silver line trains during the rescue efforts. Silver Line trains were later re-routed to New Carrollton Station “to keep things moving as we await wildlife personnel for the bald eagle on the tracks,” WMATA said in a tweet.
We are currently single tracking on the Blue/Silver lines as appropriate animal resources respond to an apparently injured bald eagle on the tracks near Morgan Boulevard. Our apologies for delays as we work to get him/her to care. #wmata pic.twitter.com/PpACF06cjv
— Metro Forward (@wmata) March 13, 2019
Bald eagles were one the first listed endangered species in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bald eagle was removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in August 2007, and its population has recovered to now estimate about 9,700 in the United States.
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