Urbana, IL (AP) – A bald eagle found with a gunshot wound in Southern Illinois is recovering and is expected to fly again after having surgery this week.
The News-Gazette reports the 1-year-old female eagle had surgery Thursday at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
The gunshot wound was found in a CT scan after the eagle was rescued and taken to the university’s Wildlife Clinic. The wound had healed incorrectly, leaving the eagle unable to fly enough to survive in the wild.
The eagle is resting and on pain medication after Thursday’s three-hour surgery.
Dr. Nicki Rosenhagen says the prognosis “looks good.”
After the eagle is healed, she’ll be transferred to the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur for reconditioning. She could be returned to the wild this summer.
