LSU Vet Med releases male bald eagle that was hit by car in October
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A male bald eagle is being set free near the Mississippi River levee on Friday after being cared for by LSU veterinarians and students since October.
The eagle was hit by a vehicle last year and has been at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital.
“It had soft tissue injuries, and it also had a shoulder injury associated with its coracoid bone or a fracture there,” said Mark Mitchell, LSU professor of wildlife medicine epidemiology.
According to Mitchell, the release of the eagle today is the fourth that has been released this year, exceeding their average number per year.
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“We’ve never had this many eagles to release. Typically, we see historically, we’d see anywhere from five to 10 eagles. Now we’re closer to 20 to 25 eagles a year,” Mitchell said.
Several eagles are being trusted with the LSU Veterinary School. Alec Filson, student at the LSU Veterinary School, said he is soaking in all the experiences and lessons learned.
“It’s very rewarding to see one of those animals that you’ve worked with for sometimes months, sometimes years at a time, and get them back out into the wild and see them, you know, back where they belong,” Filson said.
Now as the eagle flies away, Mitchell said the program runs on private donations and the support of the community is essential.
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“We’re pushing over 1,300 cases this year and we do quite a bit of work with regards to having to do surgical repairs. And so, anything that people can help us with is a great opportunity to help us expand and grow this program,” Mitchell said.
To find out more information on the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital, go here. To donate to the program, go here.
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