Maine Maritime Student Brings Injured Bald Eagle to Safety

Have you ever seen an animal injured in the road and totally panicked? I am not quick on my feet in situations like that. I aim to be more like Aiden Connelly. We all should be.

According to WGME, Aiden is a student at Maine Maritime academy and was recently driving along I-295 near West Gardiner, Maine. He spotted an injured bald eagle who had clearly been hit by a car. Aiden didn't spend a ton of time thinking about it. He just immediately sprang into action.

The article explains that the Maine student transported the eagle to the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick. At the center, volunteer veterinarian Dr. Means examined the eagle, determining that it had suffered a fractured humorous as well as an injured wing. Dr. Means pinned the eagle's leg with a metal rod.

A lot more goes into the recovery of these animals than we realize. Kristen Lamb, the executive director of the Center for Wildlife, explained that to a bald eagle, a human looks like a giant predator. Therefore, as the animal is being treated, they are in a state of extreme stress, which makes treating their injury more difficult.

The staff at the center are extremely optimistic about this eagle's recovery, which is fantastic news. They estimate that it will take several weeks for the bird to heal from the fracture and undergo rehabilitation before being released back into the wild.

Aiden described the experience as "breathtaking", and felt it was a rewarding way to spend his Saturday morning.