Injured eagle rescued off Lions Gate Bridge

A rare rescue took place on Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge over the weekend.

An injured eagle landed on the busy bridge during rush hour Saturday.

The West Vancouver Police Department says they and Vancouver counterparts teamed up to capture the bird of prey and brought it to the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society.

The Delta-based non-profit rehabilitates raptors including eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey and owls before releasing them back into the wild.

The rescued eagle has an injured eye and is suffering from lead poisoning, OWL general manager Rob Hope told CTV News.

An injured eagle landed on the Lions Gate Bridge on Saturday, Jan. 4. (Courtesy: West Vancouver Police Department)He explained eagles are often exposed to lead this time of year when they’re scavenging for food and eat meat discarded during hunting season, which contains fragments of the heavy metal left by bullets.

“A little piece of lead the size of a grain of rice can kill an eagle,” Hope said. “Once they ingest it, it's in their body and it can be very difficult to get it out.”

The eagle is currently in quarantine and will receive chelation treatment to help remove the lead, he said, adding its still too early to say whether the bird will make a full recovery or not.

“He's got a good chance, but unfortunately we can't say for sure 100 per cent, but we'll definitely try to get him back up to par,” Hope said.

The facility estimates it will have a clearer diagnosis in a week or two.