The bald eagle is one of the most majestic birds, and a national symbol of the USA. Once on the brink of local extinction, they have made a comeback thanks to conservation efforts, and we still do everything we can to protect the species.
Recently, wildlife rescuers took in a bald eagle that they thought was injured because he was unable to fly — only to laugh when they realized what was really wrong with him 😆
According to an August 21 Facebook post from Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, a bald eagle was found on the boundary of the park, seemingly injured and unable to fly.
Officers from the Missouri Department of Conservation took the bird in, hoping to rehabilitate it and release it back into the wild.
They performed x-rays, examining the eagle’s wings, head and leg bones, but did not find any visible injuries. But they found something instead that gave them a clue to what was really going on: the paws of a raccoon inside the bird’s distended stomach.
It turns out the bird wasn’t injured, he had just eaten too much roadkill — and was now “too fat to fly.”
We’ve all overindulged at some point in our lives and found ourselves too full to move, so it’s hard not to relate to this big-bellied bird. Indeed, many people online loved the story and saw the eagle as a spirit animal.
“I feel the same way sometimes,” one person wrote.
“So American,” another joked. “I love it.”
Thankfully, the eagle was quickly rehabilitated and re-released back in the park where he was found, in compliance with federal and state laws. A photo shows the eagle taking flight, apparently having finally digested his big meal.
Hopefully he remembers to practice portion control next time.
We’ve seen a lot of animal rescues but “too fat to fly” is definitely a new one! We’re glad this eagle is back in the wild and able to fly again! ❤️🤣
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