I really adore working at PAWS (progressive animal welfare society). Every week we have a new animal with a new story. Every week I learn how to do something new. I get a great workout hauling stuff around the property and I feel like I’m doing something for the greater good.
In late November (i think) we admitted a Bald Eagle. It was covered by a major Seattle news station. It’s assumed that he was a car strike, and he was pretty busted up. He’s had surgery on his his wing in addition to having an eye injury and a wound on his skull. This is the handsome bugger shortly after we got him in.
Even looking all beat up, I still think he’s a gorgeous animal. Today I got to clean his enormous flight pen. I’d guess that its around 1000 sq ft. and 30 ft. tall. So I’m walking around cleaning the pen and he keeps flying over my head from one corner to the opposite corner. He’s massive. His wing span seems as long as I am tall. I kept thinking of that part in the Simpsons movie where Homer gets attacked by a bald eagle. Like, I know I’m too big for him, but I just worry that Mr. Eagle might confuse me with a super-sized big rat meal.
Anyways so the latest chapter to his story is that one of his super-razor-sharp talons is broken off a bit, which is bad, because it makes it harder for him to catch his prey. So today, Dr. John gave him a manicure. They put the eagle under anesthesia and squirted some resin like substance onto nail and then grinded it down into a sharp point. So Mr. Eagle has a fake nail to help him out while his talon grows back.
I dunno. The whole idea of a Bald Eagle having acrylic nails (like me) totally makes me giggle. And it was pretty cool to be able to watch. I really like working at PAWS.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s a great story. Thank god for people like you doing this, Ems!
It looks like Bald Eagles can have a wingspan up to 7.5 feet! That’s way bigger than you. You tasty rat meal you!
Huh. Interesting… Thats probably why I though he looks so big… because he did!