Baby bald eagle rescued after falling from nest during storms
AUSTIN, Texas - A symbol of American freedom threatened by last week’s storms is now safe and sound. A baby bald eagle has been reunited with its parents after falling from its nest near Lake Travis.
"That was an absolute first for us to get a baby bald eagle in," Austin Wildlife Rescue Executive Director Jules Maron said.
Maron said Austin Wildlife Rescue received a call on April 12 about a baby bald eagle.
"At first we were a little skeptical, like is it or is it a baby Caracara or something like that," Maron said.
After seeing its massive feet, sure enough, it was a bald eagle. It came from the Volente Beach Lake Travis area.
"The storms about a week ago, very severe, so these storms brought down the entire eagle nest unfortunately," Maron said.
They took it in and started assessing it.
"It was a little dehydrated, so we made sure to give it fluids and nourishment," Maron said.
She said the landowners had seen the parents still around the area.
"So that really gave me a lot of hope that this was going to be a successful renesting," Maron said.
The next morning, Maron’s team as well as Texas Parks and Wildlife took the eaglet back to where it was found.
"We were able to get a very tall ladder, and I was able to get up on the ladder, bring the laundry basket with me, we shoved the nesting materials in there," Maron said.
They secured the basket in the tree and then lifted the eagle up.
"You could tell as soon as he was up in that tree, he was very comforted, he knew exactly where he was, he became very relaxed," Maron said.
MORE STORIES
- Memorial held after almost a dozen dogs found dead in south Austin creek
- Austin officials looking for owners of emus found at Zilker Park
- Austin Pets Alive! opens new thrift store in Pflugerville
The next day, the landowner said one of the eagle’s parents had come and was caring for the little one.
"That just worked out so well, and we were so excited by that," Maron said.
Maron said that’s the goal with all the animals they help, to release them back into the wild. They take in more than 9,000 native Texas wildlife every year.
"Anything from fur, scales, feathers, we do it all here," Maron said.
Austin Wildlife Rescue is a nonprofit and relies on donations to continue operating. You can donate here.
If you’re a bird watcher and want to try to see a bald eagle for yourself, Maron said they are usually by water like Lake Travis because they like to fish, they need space to build big nests, and have enough room to accommodate their large wingspan.