Subject: Sick Eagle
Date: Jul 15 20:10:46 1999
From: Don Baccus - dhogaza at pacifier.com


At 10:04 PM 7/14/99 -0700, sanjer at televar.com wrote:

>Final note. Sandy was driving and I was holding the bird on
>my lap, about halfway there I realized that it had worked its
>feet out of the tape! It made me a LITTLE nervous knowing that
>those HUGE talons were right there on my legs. It just sat
>there the whole trip. Maybe it new we were trying to help it.
>:-)

No, this is just further evidence that the bird was on its
last legs. It may've not realized its legs were free, either.

However, losing track of raptor feet is how raptor banders
get footed. With smaller species, this isn't a big deal
(though it does hurt). I've met a couple of people who
were careless with eagles who were fairly seriously hurt,
though. One was footed clear through her wrist and had
to deal with slow-healing nerve damage for several months.

You were lucky. If anyone else out there finds themselves
in a similar circumstance, be VERY carfeul. Eagle footings
aren't pleasurable.



- Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza at pacifier.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net