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Eagle Vs. Catfish
Topic Started: Jul 22 2006, 03:28 PM (345 Views)
ElaineRuth
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Our local paper published a photo of a Bald Eagle being released after having been rehabilitated for an injury.
The paper said it was a 5 yr. old, full-sized adult and was believed to have been injured during an encounter with a catfish.
How they got all that information, I’ll never know! Maybe North Carolina eagles have been crossed with parrots and can talk!!! (I’m sure you know I’m only kidding!)
Anyway, I have been wondering and trying to picture that big bird being injured by a fish!
As far as you know, does this happen very often and how exactly would that happen??
:unsure:
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Patti
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ER, I heard something similar & am glad you're asking Peter. While on an Alaskan cruise, my friend was told by a guide that on occasion Bald eagles drown when trying to capture a salmon. She went to Alaska last summer, so this info is still fresh in her mind. My husband wondered if the eagle can get caught in the current.
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peppermint
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What makes no sense about this one is that catfish are bottom dwellers.....aren't they?
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Eagle Guy
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Bald eagles often go after carp and probably catfish when they are in the shallows. I don't know how a catfish could injure the eagle. Bald eagles will sometimes capture fish that are too heavy to fly with and they will instead swim ashore, using something similar to the butterfly stroke. We've seen them swim several hundred meters to shore off Catalina. I don't think it happens much, though, although I have heard the rumors of eagles drowning because the fish was too large.
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peppermint
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ER: I Googled this very late last night and found an article that I think was about this eagle. It stated that a guy out fishing in a boat (on a lake, I think) saw the eagle struggling with a catfish, could tell it was in trouble, and rescued it. It didn't state the nature of the injuries but it didn't take too long for them to rehabilitate it to release it. I wonder if it was trying to swim to shore like Peter mentioned and just ran out of energy? For the life of me, I can't find the article this morning....kicking myself for not bookmarking it last night. I'll keep looking today and paste the link here when I find it again. Hope that helps?
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peppermint
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I found it!! Good thing, too cuz I didn't quite have all the facts straight...like I said...it was VERY late when I was reading it last night. I'm pretty sure this is the same eagle in your paper.

Subject: injured eagle update
From: mike
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:41:53 -0400

Piedmont Wildlife Center
605A Hwy 54W
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

NEWS RELEASE

July 19, 2006
Contact: Cheryl Hoggard, DVM
(919) 572-9453

Or Gail Abrams
(919) 724-9384 (cell)
(919) 968-8557 (office)

THE EAGLE FLIES FREE ON FRIDAY!

Chapel Hill, N.C. At last the eagle that came to Piedmont Wildlife
Center on June 6th , having been rescued from Jordan Lake as it struggled
with a large catfish, is ready for release.

A fisherman on the lake observed the bird struggling in the water and
called for help. Jay Childress, Ron Simmons, Albert Urquhart, Ronnie Parker
and Piedmont Wildlife Center wildlife supervisor, Jeanette Curley, rescued
the adult eagle from the lake and transported it to Piedmont Wildlife
Center, where it received pain medication, bandages, fluid and food (mice
and fish).

The majestic bird was shipped to the Carolina Raptor Center where its
rehabilitation was continued. It was given medication for swelling and
pain, and forced fed on a diet of fish and rats until it was put into a
large flight cage to strengthen its powerful flight muscles prior to
returning home to Jordan Lake.

Friday is the day we have all been eagerly anticipating, the reason we all
work so hard on a daily basis: the day of release. The adult bald eagle
(most likely a male because of its small size) will fly off over Jordan
Lake Friday at 10 am. The release site will be a field next to the lake.
See directions to site below.

The Piedmont Wildlife Center goal is to rescue and rehabilitate sick,
injured and orphaned wildlife with the intent of returning them to a
healthy environment. The Center releases an impressive 48% of the animals
brought to the hospital and expects to treat over 2,500 animals this year.
In addition, the Piedmont Wildlife Center strives to inform people about
issues affecting wildlife rehabilitation and restoration to promote an
improved relationship between humans and nature. For more information,
please visit the Piedmont Wildlife Centers Website at
www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org or call the administrative office (919)
968-8557.

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Patti
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Peppermnt & ER--interesting story and glad I got to see this. Thank you, both.
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ElaineRuth
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PM, (excuse the familiarity) ;)

Isn't that wonderful!!!!
Thank you so much. Now I have another link to explore. Wouldn't it be something if all these people (such as IWS etal) got together at annual conventions and Dr. Sharpe and his staff had actually met some of the folks from this N.C. wildlife center??
It really is a small world, isn't it???
Thanks again. :rolleyes:
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peppermint
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I would think that these different entities must surely share information and consult with each other all the time? That seems logical...but who knows?
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maggiemoo
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The story I read was that an Osprey and the Eagle were fighting over the Catfish and the Osprey did the damages to the Eagle not the fish. Now I can't find the news story but I think it is the same Eagle.
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