Soaring success: Rare baby eagle rehabilitated in conservation rriumph
Baku, April 21, AZERTAC
A rare young golden eagle was saved, treated and returned to his parents in a wildlife conservation success, according to The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL).
The bird is a regionally endangered species, and while common in Northern hemisphere countries, only three nests of golden eagles are found every year in Israel, making the birds some of the rarest in the country.
Upon discovering and inspecting a nest, a conservation team found one the sickly chick riddled with the parasite trichomoniasis, which can be fatal to the species.
In what was described as a ‘race against time’, the chick was immediately taken to the Wildlife Hospital in the Ramat Gan Safari and treated for three weeks, before being released back to his home.
Rescuers were worried their efforts could amount to nothing, due to the time frame being lengthy in the animal kingdom, and birds not always accepting their chicks back if taken away for such an absence.
But they were overjoyed to see the chick’s parents immediately welcomed him back into the fold and started feeding him, as though he’d never left.
Golden eagles generally only have one or two chicks successfully reach adulthood each, but can lay up to four eggs.
A spokesperson from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said: “This is the longest period a raptor chick has been away from its nest and still been accepted back by its parents.”
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