Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Last month, when a hiker discovered an injured bald eagle at Toledo Bend Reservoir in East Texas, he contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife.

So, as soon as this bird was found down, the Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist—he immediately called us—and got the bird here as fast as possible.

The bird arrived in Austin during Expo, where Master falconer and raptor rehabilitator John Karger was already on the grounds to present the Last Chance Forever Birds of Prey Demonstration. It’s the 17th year he’s brought his raptors to Expo, but the first time someone’s brought him and eagle.

This is the first for an eagle, but you know what, we got an injured barn owl in yesterday also. You know, people know that we’re here [at Expo], and they brought his injured barn owl, and we taped it up also. He had a fractured wing, broke at the wrist.

The eagle meantime had a fractured wing that needed immediate attention.

It’s a very serious injury, we’ve got two ends of a bone that are loose, and if those two ends were allowed to keep rubbing around, something is going to poke through the skin. If we don’t do a specialized surgery, this bird will never fly again.

He stabilized the wing with the assistance of wildlife veterinarian, Melissa Hill.

The prognosis at the moment is that he’s stable and that he’s becoming a good surgical case.

Tomorrow—the surgery.

That’s our show… we had help today from Karen Loke…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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