Is there anything more heartbreaking than a baby in a stressful situation? Well, that’s exactly what happened to one baby bald eagle! This bald eagle baby got its leg caught in a part of its nest and couldn’t get it out. So two climbers decided to embark on a daring rescue to get the baby out of trouble!
20. Eaglet
A baby eagle was in a very scary situation when its leg got “lodged in a Y-shaped stick” in a part of its nest. Wildlife experts from the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) first noticed the predicament through cameras that they use to monitor the eagles.
19. Lodged
Through the video footages, the experts saw just how badly lodged the eaglet’s foot was. At first, they wanted to leave the situation alone . However, they quickly realized the situation was serious when even the mother eagle couldn’t help her baby out.
18. An Hour
“The eaglet was unable to free itself after many attempts to do so over a considerable period of time,” the team wrote on their Facebook page. The experts continued to watch for another hour but realized that it was about time to intervene.
17. Hung Up
“They noticed it was a little hung up,” said Dan Rauch, a wildlife biologist at the District’s Department of Energy and Environment. So how did the experts decide to help out? Well, it was a dangerous embarkment!
16. Dispatched
The experts decided that the baby eagle needed to be pulled out. So they dispatched two professional climbers to go up the tree where the eagle’s nest was. You won’t believe just how tall the tree was!
15. 80 Feet
Once they were geared up, the climbers embarked up an 80-foot tree. While just the climb itself would be difficult, there was also another challenge that was facing the climbers. The weather wasn’t looking too good.
14. A Storm
The climbers had to rescue the eaglet, also known as DC4, quickly! There was a storm brewing on the horizon and it would be very dangerous for the rescuers and the eagle if they did not get to him in time. Then at 8:10 p.m. the unbelievable happened.
13. Rescue Time
At 8:10 p.m., one of the tree climbers finally reached the little eaglet. The wildlife experts that were watching the rescue through the monitors helped guide the climber through the rescue. It was a tough rescue…
12. Walkie-Talkies
Through the walkie-talkie system the climber worked hard to pull out the baby safely. Eventually, the climber got the little bird unstuck from the nest. Then it was time to climb back down.
11. Carrier Bag
The climber placed the little eagle inside of a carrier bag and then began the journey back down from the 80-foot tree. The eagle was kept down at the center overnight until it could be looked over the following day. It was then they realized the extent of the eaglet’s injury…
10. Foot Injury
The eagle’s right foot was a bit swollen and hurt. The eagles sustained a foot injury through “all the pulling and tugging trying to free itself,” said Al Cecere, head of the American Eagle Foundation. There are however no broken bones.
9. Returned
The eaglet’s injuries were tended to and cared for. Finally, the eaglet was returned back to its nest the next evening. So what were DC4’s family members doing during the rescue?
8. Family Members
While DC4 was being rescued by the climbers, Rauch said, its sibling, DC5, “slept through the whole ordeal.” The mama bird watched from a nearby tree and the daddy bird flew over the sky watching the situation play out. It was truly unique situation.
7. Live Camera Feed
Rauch went on to explain how rare it is to have video footage of an eaglet unable to free itself in a nest. The live video footage was also viewed by fans and unfortunately many of them were not happy about the rescue. So what were they so upset about?
6. Critics
Many of the viewers criticized the wildlife experts for stepping in and rescuing the baby eagle. Surprisingly enough, many of them stated that the rescuers should have let nature take its course. One person wrote a very particular comment as well…
5. One Comment
One man commented on Facebook saying that he was “not displeased by the rescue” but was a “little surprised by it.” Still, officials explained that anything could happen in the wild and that this was not that kind of situation.
4. Never Know
“I’m sure there are lots of times in the wild that chicks don’t make it, and we never know why,” Rauch said. Without the live camera feed, he said, “we would never have known what happened.” Still, there were positive comments too!
3. Positive Comments
Despite the negative commentary from some users, there were still others that were happy about the rescue. One woman expressed her joy about the rescue by writing, “I’ve been sick over this all night!” Then, she thanked the rescuers for doing such a great job.
2. Successful Rescue
The rescuers at the Maryland Zoo were very happy about how the rescue attempt worked out. The baby eaglet was successfully brought down without any getting injured throughout the process.
1. Happy Baby
The baby eagle is now back with his family and enjoying life. Thanks to the rescuers, the bird has a second chance at life. The rescuers are also excited to see how the bird grows up!