WEST NEWBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - Members of the West Newbury Police and an Animal Control officer teamed up to rescue an injured bald eagle Sunday afternoon, according to a press release.
On Sunday, July 31, at approximately 2:08 p.m., two West Newbury Police officers responded to a report of an injured bald eagle on the banks of the Merrimack River on River Road. The officers located the eagle in a brush-covered area adjacent to the river bank and requested assistance from Animal Control Officer Kayla Provencher, who responded.
West Newbury Dispatcher Bob Pierce, who got experience with injured eagles several years ago when two juvenile eagles that were nesting near his yard had to be rescued after leaving their nest too early, also responded to the scene to assist Provencher.
Provencher said one of the biggest challenges was that eagles are excellent swimmers and very fast on their feet as well, so she and Pierce had to ensure the eagle would not get scared and flee into the river, as it was unlikely they would ever be able to catch and help it at that point.
Pierce then entered the river to prevent the eagle from fleeing so that Provencher could capture the bird using a long net, blankets and towels. Pierce and Provencher worked together, in thick brush, to get the eagle out of the net and into an animal crate without any further injury.
Pierce and Provencher wore thick gloves and took precautions to protect themselves from the eagle’s potentially dangerous talons and beak.
“At one point he grabbed my gloves with his talons and I could feel the pressure,” Provencher said. “I could not just pull my hand away so I had to wait for him to release.”
Pierce and Provencher successfully retrieved the bald eagle, despite the challenges, and secured it into a large animal crate to transport it to a local wildlife rehabilitation center, which later transferred the eagle to the Tufts University Cummings Veterinary Medical Center in Grafton for treatment.
“We respond to a wide variety of emergencies in West Newbury, and I am proud of the teamwork that was on display during this complex call,” said West Newbury Police Chief Dwyer. “Our dispatchers, police officers and animal control take pride in their service to our community.”
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