This past March, a woman named Beverly was driving through a spring snowstorm in Hayward, Wisconsin, carefully navigating the icy roadway, when she noticed a beautiful bird collide with a truck up ahead.
The truck continued driving, but Beverly knew she had to stop. She quickly pulled over and ran to the bird, a bald eagle. Staring down at the majestic animal lying dormant in the snow, Beverly feared the worst. The bird had been “left for dead,” and he wasn’t moving. But suddenly, Beverly saw something amazing — the eagle’s eyes fluttered open.
He was alive.
The animal lover grabbed her phone and contacted Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital. Rescue coordinator Dennis Dunn and his wife, Sue, raced to the scene, journeying 30 miles while Beverly stood
by the bird, making sure he was safe.
Rescuers drove the bird to a veterinary hospital, where he was admitted into Dr. Kimberly Ammann’s care. Ammann examined the eagle and found that he was in rough shape. He had sustained multiple fractures, and his breathing was labored. He would need surgery on his wing, as well as treatment for elevated levels of lead in his blood.
Team members named the eagle Breezy. During his first week in care, rescuers held their breath, hoping he would pull through. Luckily, Breezy’s surgery went well. He tolerated his bandaged wing and underwent repeated X-rays and physical therapy to make sure he was improving.
Finally, once his bandage was removed, rescuers released Breezy into an eagle recovery area. Here, Breezy could spread his wings again and interact with other rescue eagles.
“Breezy spent about a week on the lower perches, just a few feet off the ground, and then progressed to the higher perches and took longer and longer flights,” Ammann told The Dodo. “Now he flies circular laps in there with no apparent issues.”
Rescuers plan to release Breezy back into the wild on Memorial Day, as a way to honor fallen veterans.
“On this year of [the] 250th anniversary of our country, releasing our national bird seemed like a perfect fit,” Ammann said. “It will be an emotionally moving experience. Our public eagle releases are always well attended, usually drawing over 100 people to watch. This one will be extra special.”
