Flying again

Bald eagles are big, beautiful birds. Just 30 years ago there were so few eagles that they were close to becoming extinct. Now there are many more. But when they get hurt, they sometimes need people to help them get better so they can fly again.

This eagle has injured its wing. Because it cannot fly or hunt, it has grown thin and very weak.

A doctor examines the eagle carefully, much like a doctor would examine you if you were hurt. The eagle is weighed and blood samples and x-rays are taken.

The x-rays show the doctor where the wing bones are broken.

Surgery is performed to repair the broken bones. During surgery, the eagle's head is covered by a plastic cone. As it breathes, the eagle inhales a gas that keeps it asleep.

A broken tail feather also needs to be fixed before the eagle will be able to fly.

The broken part of the feather is cut off.

A piece of bamboo is slipped inside the shaft of a new feather. Glue is applied to the tip.

The new feather is inserted into the old shaft.

After surgery, the eagle needs to rest and heal. It is placed for a while in a small, quiet cage.

Before it can fly again, the eagle must exercise and strengthen its weakened muscles. It is soon moved to a large cage, called the flight room, where it can practice flying safely from a perch on the wall down to the floor, and back again. An owl and six hawks that were injured are learning to fly again in this flight room.

After a few weeks, the eagle is taken outside to fly on a long tether. It is anxious to return to the wild. The tether keeps the eagle from escaping before it is strong enough to survive on its own.

At first, the eagle's wings are still so weak that it can fly only a few feet before landing on the ground. It is picked up and carried home, and another flight is attempted the next day.

Finally, the eagle is strong and ready to fly free.

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