06/23/2026
😢😢
Yesterday was a long, tough day. The morning started off with notice that a bald eagle had been struck by a vehicle on the Coalfields Expressway near Mullins in Wyoming county. Frontier Technician Rick McKinney saw it lying on the road beside a freshly killed wild turkey (we all think the eagle was scavenging it). He stayed with the eagle until WV DNR Wildlife Biologists could get there from their MacArthur office, which took about 45 minutes. We were able to meet up with them at the MacArthur office to get the eagle, a 4 year old female, then headed to All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Princeton to our staff veterinarian Dr Bill Streit. Exam and x-ray showed no fractures, but the eagle was under weight, the legs were limp and the right elbow had a road rash area. As the day wore on, despite medical care, the symptoms got worse. By evening, the injuries to the head, abdominal organs and pelvic nerves became blatant, and the condition of the eagle deteriorated significantly. Lead testing showed a blood lead level of 11.9 micrograms per deciliter. By 8 pm last night the situation had deteriorated to the point where euthanasia was the only kind option. Many thanks to all who helped with this case, this is the heartbreak of rehab. (Photo of our Educational Ambassador Regis for focus). If you are wondering where the lead came from please visit our web page on the matter: https://tracwv.org/education/ -poisoning
