Just in time for the Fourth of July, animal rescue workers came to the aid of the national bird — a wounded bald eagle — on the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
The eagle was unable to fly, seemed lethargic and had labored breathing, the Humane Rescue Alliance posted to Facebook. The cause of the eagle’s injury is unclear.
Matt Williams is with the group and wrote NPR in an email that the bird’s condition appears to be stable and its prognosis “guarded,” meaning it may recover but with lasting complications.
The eagle was spotted in a developed area near a recreational center and an apartment complex in southeast D.C.
It is recovering at City Wildlife, a rescue and rehabilitation center in the nation’s capital.
Bald eagles can be found throughout North America, typically near large bodies of water. And while it is unusual to spot them in the middle of big cities, it is not unheard of.
The most famous duo of D.C. eagle denizens can be found in a Tulip Poplar tree at the U.S. National Arboretum and under 24-hour surveillance from a live eagle cam. There have been no reports of injuries to those eagles. A look at the footage on Sunday revealed one adult eagle and at least two eaglets.
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