WYOMING – When game wardens are called to respond to an animal along the side of the road they usually prepare for the worst, bringing the flatbed truck and expecting to add some spoiling meat to their bear bait barrels. (Roadkill is often used by wildlife managers to attract bears for tagging and collaring during studies).
But on July 11, things took a different turn after motorists called to report a large bird of some kind was having trouble flying and couldn’t seem to get off the ground.
Wyoming Game and Fish Sheridan Region Damage Technician Jacob Stoinski responded to the median of Interstate 90, just north of Buffalo, Wyo. He was able to capture the raptor which turned out to be a juvenile bald eagle. The eagle was evaluated by Sheridan Wildlife Biologist Tim Thomas.
It was severely underweight, but Thomas found no broken bones and no reason why the bird could not recover with a little TLC. A good candidate for rehabilitation, the eagle was transferred the next day to the care of Ironside Bird Rescue in Cody, Wyo.
The female bald eagle spent several weeks eating heartily and regaining her strength. By August 1 she looked healthy enough for release into the wild and off she flew with another juvenile bald eagle into the wild blue yonder.
