A pair of resourceful Mounties safely captured an injured eagle in Bella Coola, B.C. using a leather jacket, fishing net and dog kennel.
Constables Casey Charles and Marina Coan were called to the bank of the Tatsquan over the weekend after a resident of the area spotted the injured bird. The eagle appeared to have a broken wing, preventing it from flying, the RCMP said in a statement Friday.
The constables contacted B.C.'s Conservation Officer Service, who put them in touch with the Orphaned Wildlife (OWL) Rehabilitation Society, an organization based in Delta that specializes in the rescue and re-release of birds of prey.
Staff at OWL instructed the officers on best practices for rescuing a raptor, and Charles put on a pair of chest waders and leather gloves. He then armed himself with "eagle catching tools," the RCMP said, including a leather jacket, fishing net and a dog kennel.
The constable waded into the water, scaled the far bank and captured the eagle.
With the bird wrapped in the net and jacket, Charles met Coan who was waiting with an open dog kennel. The eagle was put in the kennel and brought back to the RCMP detachment, where it spent the evening dining on fish.
It was then flown to Delta where it will be rehabilitated and realeased by OWL.
