A bald eagle that was initially thought to be injured because it was unable to fly was later determined by wildlife officials to be in good health and simply “overweight” after eating dead animals on the road.
Park officials at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, which is managed by the National Park Service, said the bald eagle was spotted along the border of the site.
After the Missouri Department of Conservation captured the bird for rehabilitation, wildlife officials determined that the bird would be fine after X-rays revealed the real reason the eagle couldn’t fly.
“The bird, originally reported as injured, was later found to be healthy but raccoon-loaded, meaning it was too fat to fly,” officials said in a social media post.
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The bald eagle appeared to be struggling to fly and was initially reported to be injured. (Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield)
X-rays taken at Dickerson Park Zoo show the outline of what wildlife officials suspect to be the remains of a roadkill raccoon in the eagle’s stomach.
X-rays of the bald eagle show what appears to be the outline of a raccoon’s paws in its distended stomach. (Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield)
The agency released photos showing what appeared to be a raccoon’s paw inside the bird’s stomach, as well as photos showing the predator’s distended stomach.
About 70 to 90 percent of an eagle’s diet is fish, and according to the American Bald Eagle Foundation, eagles “will eat what is most available and requires the least energy to acquire.”
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Wildlife officials then released the eagle, in accordance with federal and state laws, into the park near where it was found.
The bald eagle was then released into the park near where wildlife officials first captured it. (Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield)
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According to the National Park Service website, Wilson’s Creek was the site of the second major battle of the Civil War and the first significant clash west of the Mississippi River.
U.S. Army Officer Nathaniel Lyon was killed in battle, becoming the first Union general to be killed in action during the war.
