Rescuers Record Moment They Pull Golden Eagle from Bottom of Water-Filled Tank
Thanks to a team of wilderness advocates in Nevada, a trapped and starving golden eagle has lived to see another day.
Friends of Nevada Wilderness is made up of caring individuals who are passionate about protecting and preserving Nevada’s wild lands.
When the organization got word that a golden eagle was trapped in a large water tank, a team of rescuers from eastern Nevada went to investigate.
They found the beautiful bird hopelessly trapped in the water.
From the looks of it, the eagle had been exposed to the brutal Nevada summer heat for days.
“As mellow as he is, I would imagine he’s starving to death,” said biologist and falconer Julien Pellegrini on the site’s YouTube video.
Pellegrini identified the golden eagle as an adult male and set to work carefully securing the bird in his arms.
The golden eagle was so exhausted he couldn’t do much to escape Pellegrini’s grip.
Pellegrini handed the eagle over to his colleague and climbed out of the tank. The two men carefully examined the bird, checking his wings and tail feathers for injury.
Pellegrini theorized that the eagle had likely landed in the tank for a drink when his tail feathers got soaking wet, rendering him unable to fly.
Soaking in the water day after day, the feathers never had a chance to dry, leaving the bird trapped, starving and exhausted.
Pellegrini determined that the eagle’s tail feathers were too damaged for the bird to be immediately released back into the wild.
The men took the eagle to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
The eagle spent about a month regaining his strength and was released back into the wild on July 24, 2014.
The men named their newfound friend Goldielocks, proud of the strong, golden eagle who was determined to fly once more.
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