Injured P.E.I. eagle ready to move to new home in Nova Scotia
When 450 was brought to the Atlantic Veterinary College Wildlife Service in October of last year the eagle was bloody, bruised, and couldn’t stand.
But now, he can fly.
It’s been a long road to recovery since that first night he was brought in.
“He had a lot of blood on his head, and also all his feathers on his head were gone,” said wildlife technician Fiep de Bie. “There were lacerations and there were some lacerations on his feet.”
A spinal injury prevented 450 from standing and forced him to try to use his wings to prop himself up.
Over 20 people took part in the surgery to fix it.
“Surgeons doing the actual procedure,” said Lara Cusack, veterinarian and head of the AVC Wildlife Service.
“We had an anaesthesiologist and their team monitoring the anaesthesia, and then we had the zoo team supervising everything to be able to highlight those differences from a bird to their more regular patients, which would be your dogs and cats and your horses and cows.”
Even afterward, it took months for the bird to be able to perch again, and all that time on the ground caused him to lose many of his feathers and develop lesions on his wings.
“He was able to perch,” said de Bie. “Then fly short distances, and very shortly after, he was flying a little longer distances, and it was all uphill from there.”
The surgery and care 450 needed to get back to this point cost thousands of dollars.
AVC Wildlife Service covers those costs through grants and donations. They’re getting a little help from the University of Prince Edward Island on this Giving Tuesday, an anonymous donor is matching up to $10,000.
“Wildlife services have no home or no owners, so they get brought here,” said Myrtle Jenkins-Smith, Department of Alumni Engagement executive director. “The increase of expenses, it’s really growing significantly.”
The money goes to help animals like 450 get back on their feet.
Four hundred fifty’s enclosure is designed to meet his capabilities. It’s about the same size as the one that’s being built for him at Hope for Wildlife in Nova Scotia.
The AVC Wildlife Service team was hopeful 450 could be released, but his long recovery left him with permanent damage to his wings.
“It'll be enough to impede him from being able to do normal behaviour in the wild, and so we’d never release an animal like that,” said Cusack. “That potentially would have long-term pain, or not be able to care for itself, because we’re just setting them up for failure.”
The team is not sure how old the bird is, but depending on his age he could live another 20 or 25 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Biden says he gave the order for Chinese balloon shootdown
President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this week and that national security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when it got over water.

How to stay safe in extreme cold: Recognizing the signs and symptoms of frostbite, hypothermia
Canadians will continue to bundle up in the country's east this weekend as a recent bout of extreme cold persists in much of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. CTVNews.ca looks at the signs and symptoms for frostbite and hypothermia to watch for if exposed to extreme cold.
Poor oral health could affect the brain later in life: early study
An early study has shown keeping your gums and teeth healthy may have added benefits for your brain health.
Toronto named as host city for 2024 NHL all-star game
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Saturday the league's 2024 showcase will be played in Toronto for the ninth time.
Extremely cold temperatures prolong cold weather alerts for much of Eastern Canada
A cold snap that triggered Environment Canada alerts involving eight provinces and territories extended into a second day on Saturday, shattering several past temperature records and leaving thousands of customers in Atlantic Canada without power.
China balloon: Many questions about suspected spy in the sky
The massive white orb drifting across U.S. airspace has triggered a diplomatic maelstrom and is blowing up on social media. A look at what's known about the balloon crossing the U.S. and what isn't.
Marit Stiles officially confirmed as Ontario NDP leader by majority vote
Marit Stiles has been confirmed as the new leader of the Ontario NDP after a majority of party members voted in favour of the lone candidate.
Eyes on the sky as Chinese balloon shot down over Atlantic
Eyes were locked on the skies Saturday as a suspected Chinese spy balloon passed over the U.S. Eastern Seaboard -- where local authorities warned civilians against taking potshots with rifles -- before it was shot down when it drifted over the Atlantic Ocean.
Dozens of soldiers freed in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap
Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war have returned home following a prisoner swap, officials on both sides said Saturday.