A bald eagle is recovering after being rescued from a trap by a photographer who discovered it while searching for moose.
Edgewood, B.C. photographer Tasha Hall was out snowmobiling with family on Friday, looking for moose to photograph, when they came across the large bird.
The eagle was found in a trapper's snare, likely set for a larger animal like a wolf, she said.
Hall's family members were able to free the eagle from the trap, in a rescue caught on camera and posted to Facebook.
The video shows two men who'd been with the photographer putting what appears to be a jacket over the eagle as the bird tries to nip one of their gloved hands. The men examine its wing and then picking it up off the ground where it was lying.
They thought the bird's wing may have been broken, and that it had lost a fair bit of blood, Hall told CTV News. They believe it had been there at least a day or two.
Hall and her family brought the bird home and called a wildlife rescue group for advice on what to do next.
She drove the bird to the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops to be assessed on Saturday. Hall spoke to staff at the facility Monday and was told its prognosis is good.
Sean Daley from the Wildlife Health Centre told CTV News that the bird was severely dehydrated when it arrived, and had a large hematoma on its wing. Fortunately there was no fracture of the bones.
The eagle was treated with fluids and an anti-inflammatory for pain, and was "force fed to help stimulate appetite."
Days later, the eagle is now eating on its own, and staff at the centre are hopeful they will be able to release it back into the wild once it's healed. However, they are still determining the amount of damage to its soft tissue and to the injured wing, so it will take time before they can determine whether it is able to fly well enough to live on its own.
Daley said the park is a non-profit and relies on the public to support its health centre. Those looking to volunteer or make a donation can get more information online. Proceeds from ticket sales also go toward animal conservation, wildlife rehabilitation and education programs.
Those wondering what to do if they find an animal in the wild in need of help can get more information here.
