Eagle found flightless on rural road near Nacogdoches

Published 1:27 am Saturday, February 21, 2015

Two game wardens Friday delivered a bald eagle to a Tyler veterinarian’s office, where it was examined and turned over to a Lindale wildlife rehabilitator.

Game Warden Sean Reneau said a citizen saw the eagle on County Road 234 near Nacogdoches on Thursday and notified the game wardens’ office. Reneau and his partner, Randy Stovall, went out to check on the bird Friday.

“He was very alert on a limb, but it wouldn’t move; he wouldn’t fly,” Reneau said. The game wardens threw a blanket over the eagle, wrapped him up, put him in a cage and brought him to Tyler.

Wildlife rehabilitator Beverly P. Grage, of Lindale, met the game wardens at Glenwood Animal Hospital.

Veterinarian Mary-Evelyn Points and Ms. Grage examined the bird. The veterinarian also took X-rays and a blood sample.

“The X-rays show negative for injuries. We can’t determine why the bird is down. We have no idea why he can’t fly. We’ve drawn blood and we will wait for the results of the blood test,” Ms. Grage said.

“I’m going to take the bird home and put him in my flight cage and see with a little time to recuperate if he can fly again on his own,” she said.

If the bird starts to fly, the game wardens will take him back to Nacogdoches and release the eagle into the wild, Reneau said.

Ms. Grage said if the eagle still doesn’t fly, more tests will be done to try to figure out why the bird is down.

Ms. Grage, who has a wildlife rehabilitator permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, takes in about 150 animals a year that have been hurt or orphaned to rehabilitate them. She mostly takes in birds but also small mammals – raccoons, opossums, squirrels, foxes and skunks.

“I see a need for it,” Ms. Grage said. “I have a strong belief that God told us to be good stewards of His creation, and these are His creation.”