This bald eagle was found wet and unable to move on the shoreline of Paul Lake near Kamloops earlier this week. It is currently recovering at the B.C. Wildlife Park thanks to rescuers Doug Giles, Ivy McCormick and Tosha Moen.
Image Credit: SUMBITTED/Doug Giles
June 25, 2021 - 6:00 PM
A Kamloops wildlife photographer got a little closer to one of his usual subjects than expected when he rescued an eagle from Paul Lake.
While boating along the shoreline of the lake with friends earlier this week, Doug Giles noticed a bald eagle on the shore. At first, he thought the eagle was just drying out. On closer inspection, he realized there was something wrong.
“The eagle couldn’t really move anything other than its head,” Giles said. “We wrapped it in a coat, put it into the boat and brought it to an enclosure at my house.”
Giles has spent decades photographing a broad spectrum of wild species in the B.C. interior. He has obtained a wealth of knowledge about wild animals and their behaviours. He spends the majority of his time photographing wild birds.
Doug Giles is a wildlife photographer in Kamloops with decades of experience photographing, studying and admiring a vast array of wild animal species.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Dutch Oak Photography
Giles’ plan was to wait and see if the eagle had improved by the following morning, and to his disappointment, it had not, and was still unable to fly. He took it to experienced staff at the B.C. Wildlife Park.
“I think what may have happened is it went after something in the water and couldn't get back out,” Giles said. “It likely had to swim to shore in high waves with the wind that day and the feathers got soaked. There could be some hypothermia and exhaustion involved.”
Giles says staff at the wildlife park contacted him today, June 24, to let him know the status of the injured bird.
“The X-rays came up negative for any broken bones,” Giles said. “He was a bit dehydrated so they are putting him on fluids. We are hoping for a full recovery.”
The bald eagle was removed from Canada's endangered species list in 2009, and is currently classified as a vulnerable or sensitive species.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor.
News from © iNFOnews, 2021