POISON VICTIM: It was a cold, wet morning when a walker along Willingdon Beach trail called Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society about an eagle just standing on a log by the path, not even moving when dogs came by. It had been like that for three days.
PROWLS president Merrilee Prior raced down, walked over and scooped up the eagle, which had now stumbled off the log and fallen on her face while trying to get away.
Not yet a year old, she weighed almost nothing and was too weak to eat. It was clear she was starving. The eagle was placed on Paciﬁc Coastal Airline’s ﬁrst ﬂight to Vancouver.
Upon arrival at Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) in Delta, she was immediately tested for lead poisoning. The test showed high lead levels but she was unable to tolerate the treatment, which involves ﬂushing out the lead intravenously.
The lead had been in her system too long, causing neurological damage. In spite of all the efforts made at OWL, she died overnight.
Eagles ingest the lead from animals they eat (ducks and geese) that pick up the lead while foraging on lake bottoms, or from the piles of carrion left by hunters in the bush. It acts as grit helping digestion, but is too heavy to be excreted, so it collects in the system. If caught soon enough, the birds can be treated.
If a bird is behaving in any unusual way, including letting you be close to it, call PROWLS right away. Time is critical.
"Siku moja asubuhi, wakati wa baridi kali na mvua, msafiri mmoja aliyekuwa akitembea kwenye njia ya Willingdon Beach alimwita Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society kuhusu tai aliyekuwa amesimama kwenye mti kando ya njia, bila hata kuhamia wakati mbwa walipokuwa wakipita.""" Ilikuwa hivyo kwa siku tatu. Rais wa PROWLS Merrill Prior alikimbilia chini, akaenda na kukamata tai, ambaye sasa alikuwa amejikwaa kutoka kwenye mti na kuanguka uso kwa uso alipojaribu kutoroka. Alikuwa na umri wa miaka mitatu tu, uzito wake ulikuwa mdogo sana na alikuwa dhaifu sana hivi kwamba hangeweza kula. Ilikuwa wazi kwamba alikuwa na njaa. Tai aliwekwa kwenye ndege ya kwanza ya Pacific Coastal Airline kwenda Vancouver. Baada ya kuwasili katika Shirika la Urekebishaji wa Wanyama Wanyama wa Pori (OWL) huko Delta, mara moja alichunguzwa kwa sumu ya risasi. Uchunguzi ulionyesha viwango vya juu vya risasi lakini hakuweza kuvumilia matibabu, ambayo yanahusisha kuondoa risasi kwa njia ya mshipa. Risasi hiyo ilikuwa ndani ya mwili wake kwa muda mrefu sana, ikisababisha uharibifu wa neva. Licha ya jitihada zote zilizofanywa katika OWL, alikufa usiku mmoja. Tai huchukua risasi kutoka kwa wanyama wanaokula (ndege na bata) ambao huchukua risasi wakati wa kutafuta chakula kwenye sakafu ya ziwa, au kutoka kwa rundo la maiti iliyobaki na wawindaji katika misitu. Inafanya kazi kama mchanga kusaidia kumeng'enya, lakini ni nzito sana kutolewa, hivyo hukusanya katika mfumo. Ikiwa ndege hao watakamatwa upesi, wanaweza kutibiwa. Ikiwa ndege ana tabia isiyo ya kawaida, ikiwa ni pamoja na kukuruhusu uwe karibu naye, piga simu PROWLS mara moja. Wakati ni muhimu sana.