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Recent patients in our hospital.
Aquila
This young golden eagle was found in Whitley County, Indiana with a large tear in her throat. Golden eagles are not usually seen in Indiana; they live in the prairies and mountains west of here. The injury ripped open the bird's crop, a place in the neck were food is stored. This could have been caused by a fight with another eagle or from colliding with a sharp object. The bird was called Aquila, the Latin word for eagle.
Treatment included surgery to sew up the cut, antibiotics to prevent infection, and being fed through a tube for a few days while her neck healed. After three weeks in the hospital, Aquila was strong enough to be exercised by flying on a long, nylon cord. On December 9, 1999, this beautiful bird was released back into the wild at the same place where she was found.
Rhubarb
In May of 1999, an adult red-tailed hawk came in with a broken wing. The prognosis was not good because the fracture was old, the wound was infected and the bird was weak. She was called Rhubarb. A stainless steel pin was put in the broken bone to make it heal straight. After six months in the hospital, Rhubarb was healed and ready to try her flying skills again. It took a month of test flights on a line for her to get strong enough to go free. At the end of November, Rhubarb was released near Mongo, Indiana, where she had been found.
Shorty
A short-eared owl was found on the ground at US Steel in Gary, Indiana in October, 1999. "Shorty" had some eye problems. He was in the Raptor Chapter's hospital for about two weeks until he was fully healthy. A short recovery time is good for the bird because living in captivity can cause problems like broken feathers and diseases. Release was made in a safer place in Dekalb County, Indiana.
Check back again for future updates on new Raptor Chapter patients!
