Wounded eagle shot, maimed, receiving treatment in Walnut Creek

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KTVU) - A wounded eagle is receiving treatment after it was rescued from a remote area in Pittsburg.

Wildlife doctors can’t understand why someone shot down, maimed and left a female Golden Eagle to suffer.
On August 21 she was found so badly injured she couldn't fly.

We're told that the injured eagle was found in an open space by Calpine in Pittsburg. We’ve learned that a transient spotted the bird and called fish and wildlife. Fish and Wildlife visited the scene and asked Calpine to review their surveillance video but they say there wasn’t much on the video to be seen.

The 6-year-old eagle was then brought to Lindsey Wildlife in Walnut Creek where she had undergone surgery to repair her broken wing. Wildlife officials shared the radiographs with KTVU, that show the metacarpal fracture and the pellet.

“Instead of being nice and straight its completely bent. and this is all fragments off of it and that’s the pellet in the middle,” explained Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Allison Daugherty.

Dr. Daugherty says she is showing positive signs of recovery. Pins were placed in her wing to stabilize the fracture and bandages help keep a controlled range of motion. As for the pellet, it remains lodged in her wing.

“There was so much damage to the soft tissue I didn’t think at that point it was worth trying to dig through all the soft tissue to pull it out and cause further trauma to that when it was already bruised and swollen as it was,” said Dr. Daugherty.
            
Opposite of the scavenger-like bald eagle, golden eagles are docile birds. The question remains, why would anyone want to shoot an eagle? Bird enthusiasts visiting Lindsey Wildlife say they're not surprised.

“If they’ll shoot at people why won’t they shoot at any animals. Nothing seems to be sacred anymore,” said Sue Fordin of Walnut Creek. 

The eagle has a long road ahead of her. Doctors say it could be weeks or months before she can be released back into the wild. California Fish and Wildlife are asking anyone with information to contact them.