The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it is against regulations to release an eagle with only one foot.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The federal government forced an animal rescue in the Poconos to euthanize a golden eagle overnight, a big surprise for those who cared for the bird.
A month ago, we told you about a golden eagle recovering at an animal shelter in Monroe County.
The bird was missing a foot.
The eagle seemed fine otherwise.
Here’s what the facility’s executive director told us then.
“When we first looked at the foot, I was almost in disbelief that something could have healed that well. No infection, no necrosis. It completely healed over,” said Janine Tancredi, the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife.
Veterinarians said the eagle’s injury happened about a year prior to its arrival at the shelter.
Fast forward to Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The director of the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife told us that federal officials ordered the eagle to be euthanized.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cites a regulation that requires a migratory bird to be killed if it can’t perch or walk without hurting itself or if the animal requires amputation of a foot.
The wildlife center in the Poconos argues that the eagle did not require amputation because it came to them missing a foot.
The shelter ran tests and consulted with medical professionals.
“I do not feel as though it should be euthanized. None of the three vets that have taken this bird looked at it and ran radiographs, and I have extensive diagnostics done,” Tancredi said. “None of them feel the bird should be euthanized, and I also submitted all those letters of recommendation.”
Tancredi says if she did not comply, it could cost her facility its license.
She says her alternative solutions were ignored.
“What I had hoped for is that I would be able to release it. We did go through a company in attempts to get a prosthetic so that if we got the exhibition permit, we would be able to keep it for education if it couldn’t be released. I just wanted the opportunity to show that it could be released,” Tancredi explained.
Author: WNEP Web Staff, Jon Meyer
Published: 8:10 PM EDT July 12, 2023
Updated: 7:05 PM EDT July 13, 2023
