E8 recovering at CROW, no broken bones found

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla.- Avid eagle watchers tuning in to the Southwest Florida eagle cam will notice someone’s missing from Harriet and M15’s nest in North Fort Myers.

Tuesday afternoon, state wildlife officials and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) rescued E8 from the nest where it suffered while having a fishing line wrapped around its leg. The fishing line may have either been nesting material or a line that came in with a fish, according to CROW.

X-rays show E8 has no broken bones but the eaglet is affected by dehydration and weight loss. Because of swelling in the leg, CROW is concerned about nerve damage due to the lack of blood flow.

“Some of these injuries can be bad, we’ve seen the exact same thing in other eagles before and some of them have turned out very well and some not as well. It just depends how long the line has been on there and whether the structures underneath are affect or just the skin,” said Heather Barron with CROW.

CROW says E8 is currently receiving food, fluids, antibiotics and plenty of rest.