An injured and “very feisty” Wedge-tailed Eagle has been discovered on a rural farm in Tasmania’s north-west this week, but wildlife carers are expressing concerns about her chances of recovery.
Raptor Care North West were alerted to the injured bird on Thursday afternoon at a Flowerdale farm near Wynyard and say that after successfully capturing her, she was taken to the vet for a thorough examination.
“She was very tough to catch actually and very feisty,” Raptor Care wrote.
“She … has a piece of bone missing from her radius and has likely been grounded for a month or [two]. She would have been supported by her parents who would have been helping out feeding her.”
Despite her inability to take flight, they said the eagle was “surprisingly a good weight”.
“We are not sure the prognosis looks great for a recovery at this point, however we will give her a little time and see what happens.”
“It is likely she will be put to sleep next week unfortunately.”
An endangered species, the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle measures 100 to 110cm in length, with a wingspan of 1.9 to 2.3m and a weight of 3.5 to 5.5kg.
According to 2022 statistics from the Tasmanian government, the total adult population of wedge-tailed eagles in the state is estimated at less than 1,000.
People are strongly encouraged to contact wildlife assistance organisations and carers if they encounter injured animals in the wild.
