UNION, Maine — A bald eagle found in distress after apparently ingesting lead is recovering at a bird sanctuary after being rescued last week by a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy and local residents.
Deputy Nathaniel Jack was on patrol on New Year’s Eve when he drove by Ayers Park in Union and noticed a bald eagle acting oddly. He said the bird appeared to be injured and that when it tried to fly it ended up headfirst in the water.
The deputy and some residents were able to capture the eagle and waited for volunteers from Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation center in Freedom, to arrive.
The bird sanctuary reports on its Facebook page that the bird is suffering from lead poisoning, and the level of lead in the eagle’s blood was beyond the upper limit of Avian Haven’s screening instrument.
The rescuers indicated the eagle was very thin and debilitated, but was not injured and was not showing signs typically associated with a lethal exposure to lead, according to the Facebook post. Treatment is underway and center workers “are keeping a close eye on her as we wait, and hope” for recovery.