A couple updates on little Victor of Fraser Point Bald Eagles who was rescued after falling from his nest in Santa Cruz Island, California... Prayers for you little Victor💜💜💜
Via Institute for Wildlife Studies via Facebook July 11, 11:58pmThank you to Allie from The Nature Conservancy for assisting me in the recovery of Victor. We found him in the stream bed below the nest, so he'd likely been getting fresh water. He ate some nice Costco trout when I got him back to the truck and is now at the Ojai Raptor Center. There are no apparent broken bones, so they will have to do some more tests over the next couple of days. We'll have to wait patiently for their results.
via The Ojai Raptor Center Facebook July 12th On Monday, Dr. Peter Sharpe of the Institute for Wildlife Studies rescued a 13-week-old Bald Eagle fledgling from Santa Cruz Island who had been observed having difficulty standing. The eaglet arrived at Ojai Raptor Center late that evening where the patient was examined by ORC staff veterinarian, Dr. Stephany Lewis.
The eagle was bright and alert with good body condition and hydration levels. Radiographs revealed no bone fractures or soft tissue damage. Lead levels also came back negative. Blood chemistry and West Nile Virus test results are still pending from the lab. There is a whole range of infectious and toxic causes that could result in the neurological signs the eaglet is displaying. Spinal trauma also cannot be ruled out without advanced imaging such as a CT scan or MRI as it cannot be seen in birds on radiographs.
Dr. Lewis is treating the eagle with intravenous hypertonic saline to reduce any possible brain swelling, as well as antifungal medication and an antibiotic. The patient is also being treated with an agent to help remove any other potentially toxic metals, aside from lead, that might be in the bloodstream. The eaglet is being hand-fed and eating well, but the prognosis remains guarded. Neurologic disease in wildlife is very difficult to diagnose and treat, but we will continue to do all we can to diagnose and treat the patient. We will continue to observe the eaglet and evaluate the progression of neurological signs over the next week.
At this time, we are unable to respond to the influx of emails we have received about this patient, but we will continue to post updates when we can.
We are very grateful to everyone who has already donated to support the eagle's care as medication and lab costs can quickly add up. If you would like to support the care and treatment of this eaglet, click the donate button or visit
https://www.ojairaptorcenter.org/.
latest update...via The Ojai Raptor Center Facebook 7-13-22This morning, Bald Eagle patient 22-635, who was rescued Monday from Santa Cruz Island after having difficulty standing, had a full-body CT scan thanks to Dr. Michael Higgins and the staff at Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group. The scan did not show anything abnormal, but the test results have been sent to a radiologist for further evaluation.
In the meantime, the fledgling eaglet is still eating well and remains on medications. The patient remains alert but is still unable to stand. We are still waiting on results from a West Nile Virus test, a CDC blood panel, as well as a toxic heavy metal panel to look for other contaminants such as mercury or arsenic. The patient’s prognosis remains guarded while we try to determine the cause of the eagle’s symptoms.
Also, Victor made the news, see article on Victor via Cheri Carlson Ventura County Star 7-13-22https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2022/07/13/bald-eaglet-rescued-ojai-raptor-center-rehabilition-facility-after-fall-channel-islands-nest/10040561002/