19 Bald Eagles Killed in Alaska Accident
18/01/2008 16:01:23
January 2008. As many as 19 bald eagles have died in a single incident after becoming stuck in a lorry full of fish waste outside a processing plant.
More than 50 eagles swarmed into the truck, whose retractable fabric cover had been open, according to Brandon Saito, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who coordinated the recovery operation.
The eagles became too soiled to fly or clean themselves, and with temperatures as low as-10 Celsius, many simply died of cold, and other birds became so weak they sank into the fish slime and were crushed. The truck's contents had to be dumped onto the floor of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods plant so the birds could be retrieved.
Those birds still alive tried to get away, but since they could not fly, wildlife officers soon retrieved them. The eagles were then cleaned and warmed up with warm water and soap to remove the oily slime. The survivors were taken to a heated fish and wildlife warehouse to recover, though some were in critical condition. Saito said they would be released as soon as they were dry and strong enough.
More than 50 eagles swarmed into the truck, whose retractable fabric cover had been open, according to Brandon Saito, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who coordinated the recovery operation.
The eagles became too soiled to fly or clean themselves, and with temperatures as low as-10 Celsius, many simply died of cold, and other birds became so weak they sank into the fish slime and were crushed. The truck's contents had to be dumped onto the floor of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods plant so the birds could be retrieved.
Those birds still alive tried to get away, but since they could not fly, wildlife officers soon retrieved them. The eagles were then cleaned and warmed up with warm water and soap to remove the oily slime. The survivors were taken to a heated fish and wildlife warehouse to recover, though some were in critical condition. Saito said they would be released as soon as they were dry and strong enough.
