Investigation underway after rescued Golden Eagle dies
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The eagle that was rescued by Santa Barbara County Fire has sadly passed away from its injuries on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network reported that the eagle that was rescued in Sisquoc has died from its injuries.
The eagle was found by Santa Barbara County firefighters in Sisquoc, east of Orcutt on Friday.
They were notified of an injured eagle spotted along Palmer Road.
Firefighters came to the scene and found the bird unable to fly.
They then brought the eagle to the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network in Goleta for treatment.
The network says when the eagle arrived to their center, it was seizing continuously and experiencing full body muscle tremors.
They suspected the eagle to be a female based on her size.
Caretakers say she was very dehydrated. They administered anti-seizure medication, gave her fluids and gave her pain medication to treat the eagle.
They tested the bird for lead toxicity and found that she did not have any abnormal levels of lead in her system. They also found that she had good levels of red blood cells and was determined to not be anemic.
The care network also says that there were no signs of ocular trauma, meaning no loss of vision.
After the exam, the care takers let her rest in a temperature-regulated enclosure.
Caretakers said she passed overnight.
The care network says they are not sure what the cause of death was but thinks it might be linked to the West Nile Virus or some sort of trauma or toxicosis.
The eagle's body was sent to the Wildlife Investigation's Lab, part of the California Fish and Wildlife agency.
The agency will perform a necropsy to try to identify what the cause of death may have been.
