Marshalltown veterinarian bandages bald eagle
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Tracy Belle with Wildthunder and Hometown Veterinarian Dr. Grant Jacobson show the female bald eagle after care was given. Belle brought Jacobson the eagle due to a dislocation in the shoulder, and he managed to put it back in place.
By LANA BRADSTREAM
TIMES-REPUBLICAN
A symbol of the nation came to Marshalltown last week for some work.
Wildthunder Wildlife and Animal Rehabilitation and Sanctuary, a nonprofit in Independence, brought Dr. Grant Jacobson at The Hometown Veterinarian a female bald eagle. Tracy Belle, founder and director of the nonprofit, found the bird by the road.
“She was sitting by the side of the highway,” Belle said. “She was probably eating on the side of the road and was hit by a car. Luckily, her weight was up and she was in good condition with no tattered tail feathers.”
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Dr. Grant Jacobson with the Hometown Veterinarian works on a 2-year-old female bald eagle on Aug. 20. To ensure his safety, the eagle was hooded and feet were bound before it was brought in.
Belle estimates the female bald eagle to be around two years old, with a weight of 11 pounds.
“That is not bad, considering she’s a young eagle,” she said. “She might have been recently learning life skills.”
Belle could feel there was some shifting in the eagle’s wing and contacted her primary vet. Before taking the bird to the vet, she hooded the eyes and bound its feet so it would not injure anybody. The hood helps calm the eagle.
X-rays revealed a dislocated shoulder, so Belle reached out to “Dr. J,” who does a lot of orthopedic work on birds, cats and dogs.
“It won’t need surgery,” Jacobson said. “I put it back in place, and am anticipating it should return to normal. Time will tell.”
T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Dr. Grant Jacobson with The Hometown Veterinarian, holds a sedated barred owl on Wednesday after it was brought in. He believes the bird was hit by a car as it was found near Highway 30.
Fortunately, there was nothing fractured or torn, he said.
“The bandage will give the body a chance to heal,” Jacobson said. “If all goes well, it shouldn’t be one to treat further. I hope it will heal and stabilize. The goal is for [the eagle] to not have to need me again.”
Belle said Jacobson recommended the eagle rest for two weeks. During that time, she will place the eagle in a smaller pen at Wildthunder, which is operated solely on donations and volunteers.
“Then she will be put in the 100-foot pen so she can really start working her wings,” Belle said.
This was not the first raptor Belle delivered to Jacobson’s care. She first brought him a little barred owl with a fracture, but it took Belle a little bit of time to discover The Hometown Veterinarian. Her research eventually paid off.
“Everybody was telling me there was no one around,” she said. “But if you back me in a corner, I will find a way.”
On Wednesday, Jacobson was actually working on another barred owl, but it did not come from Wildthunder. The most recent owl was found next to Highway 30, and Jacobson said it was more likely hit by a vehicle as there are some broken bones.
“Working with exotic birds has been a big part of what we do,” he said. “I’ve always liked raptors.”
Birds of prey, such as eagles and owls, can get hit easily by traffic. Their vision spots something to eat in the ditch and will dive to get it, sometimes right in front of moving traffic.
“Eagles have tunnel vision,” Belle said. “All they see is food. They are so focused on the food they do not see the cars. That is how they get hit.”
That knowledge makes Belle’s granddaughter ask to move dead animals from the side of the road. She wants to prevent the birds from getting hurt, Belle said.
Bald eagles are also no longer rare to spot, with the birds of prey having a presence in every county. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there are five to 14 nests in Marshall County. Ten percent, or 289, of the bald eagle population in the state can be found near the Iowa River during the midwinter season. In fact, Jacobson said he sees a pair of eagles south of Marshalltown about once per week.
“There are a lot more resting pairs,” he said. “The numbers are definitely back up.”
With increasing numbers and a tendency to have “tunnel vision,” it might become more common for a person to encounter an injured bald eagle. If that happens, Jacobson said the first thing the person should do is contact the DNR.
“They are a highly protected species,” he said. “Since hurting a bald eagle is a federal crime, call the DNR first.”
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, states that anyone harming a bald eagle can face up to $100,000 in fines and a year in prison. If someone commits a second offense, they face a felony charge.
Jacobson also said if people happen across an injured bald eagle, they should not try to physically help the eagle themselves.
“They have powerful talons and will bite,” he said. “Do not get yourself injured or harm the bird.”
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or [email protected].