Wedge-tailed eagle has surgery at Camden’s Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital so it can fly again
THE largest bird of prey in Australia, a wedge-tailed eagle is making a steady recovery after having delicate surgery to repair a fractured bone in its right wing so it can return to fly.
Macarthur
Don't miss out on the headlines from Macarthur. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- ‘Transsexual’ hen Olivia’s sex reversal operation to stop her crowing
- Construction is set to begin on Gregory Hills Town Centre
- Mum’s whooping cough warning in memory of beloved daughter
A WEDGE-TAILED eagle, which is the largest bird of prey in Australia, is making a steady recovery after having delicate surgery at Camden’s Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital to repair a fractured bone in its right wing so it can return to fly.
The eagle, believed to be a female, was found weak, on the ground and unable to fly on a farm in the Southern Highlands after it fractured one of its right wing bones, the ulna.
The farm owners herded the grounded eagle into its horse stables before it was collected by a wildlife rescuer and taken to the hospital for treatment.
“We did a physical examination, took radiographs and discovered that one of its right wing bones, the ulna, was fractured,’’ a post on the Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital Facebook page stated.
“We stabilised the eagle with a figure eight bandage on its injured wing, gave it antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and crop fed it.’’
Surgery was then performed on the third day to place pins in the bone so the two ends of the fracture would not move and the bone could heal quickly.
“The surgical repair had the additional advantage of allowing the bird to use its wing, so that muscles would not contract and the joints in the wings would retain its proper range of motion,’’ the Facebook post stated.
The eagle is currently being cared for by a wildlife carer who told the Macarthur Chornicle the bird’s recovery was slow because it may also have damaged bone fragments in its wing.
“We will continue monitoring its progress for the following weeks, fingers crossed that this majestic creature will have a speedy recovery,’’ the Facebook post stated.
Staff at the hospital are also reminding residents that if they find an injured eagle or other bird of prey to contact their local wildlife rescue organisation immediately and to not attempt to handle them as they can be very dangerous.
Wedge-tailed eagles are found locally in the Macarthur region and can be seen in many locations around Sydney.
They hunt live prey such as rabbits and are also scavengers.
In February, the Macarthur Chronicle reported that the skilled surgeons at the Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital had performed a rare sex reversal operation to stop a pet hen named Olivia from transforming into a rooster.
IN OTHER NEWS
