Last Updated 1 week by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
VALPARAISO, Ind. (WISH) — A bald eagle was found seizing in a field, then died from a disease suspected to be the bird flu.
A homeowner called the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Monday to report an injured bald eagle was trying to fly in a field near North 400 East in Valparaiso. Once they realized that the bird was sick and having trouble flying, the DNR asked Humane Indiana Wildlife to help.
The eagle kept landing face first, HIW said, “lacking the ability to coordinate getting back onto its feet for some time.”
They were able to capture the eagle without any problems, but said he had seizures while being brought to their clinic.
HIW found no obvious injuries on the eagle, but noted it was dehydrated and slightly underweight. “A lead test showed a level of 10 ug/dL, which means the bird was suffering form toxicosis,” HIW said in a Facebook post. However, veterinarians suspected the eagle was seizing from bird flu, not lead poisoning.
“An avian influenza test was conducted and is being sent to the Purdue University Disease Diagnostic Lab for analysis,” HIW said. The eagle was kept in quarantine and given supportive care while waiting for the test confirmation, which HIW has not yet received.
HIW confirmed that the eagle died while in quarantine.
If the bald eagle survived and the test was positive, HIW would have had to humanely euthanize him.
“Northwest Indiana has seen a considerable increase in Avian Influenza cases within the last few weeks. Birds of prey may be impacted when they scavenge on, or even hunt, birds that are avian influenza positive,” HIW said. Birds of prey often show neurological symptoms from bird flu.
So far, no pre-emptive measures are being done by the DNR following the bald eagle’s death, however they are tracking bird flu cases in Indiana. If you find a diseased animal, wear PPE equipment like gloves or a mask. Indiana DNR urges you to report sick and dead wildlife.