19 Bald Eagles Die in Alaska

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Inkpen

Guest
At Least 19 Bald Eagles Die in Alaska


KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — At least 19 bald eagles died Friday after gorging themselves on a truck full of fish waste outside a processing plant.

Fifty or more eagles swarmed into the truck, whose retractable fabric cover was open, after the truck was moved outside the plant, said Brandon Saito, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who coordinated the recovery operation.

The birds became too soiled to fly or clean themselves, and with temperatures in the mid-teens, began to succumb to the cold. Some birds became so weak they sank into the fish slime and were crushed.

The truck's contents had to be dumped onto the floor of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods plant so the birds could be retrieved. Some tried to scatter, but since they couldn't fly, wildlife officers soon retrieved them. The eagles were then cleaned with dish soap in tubs of warm water to remove the oily slime and warm them.

The survivors were taken to a heated fish and wildlife warehouse to recover, though some were in critical condition. Saito said they would be released as soon as they were dry and strong enough.

The dead birds will be shipped to a U.S. Department of Interior clearinghouse, where Native American groups could apply to be given the birds or their feathers for ceremonial purposes.

Requests for interviews from Ocean Beauty officials were not returned.

Commercial fishing is the main industry in Kodiak, a city of about 6,000 on Kodiak Island on the south coast of Alaska.
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toppick08

Guest
Sad.........Least they were not Eastern Wild Turkeys as Franklin had first proposed...... Much smarter bird.
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
A note to "YOU"..yes, "YOU"

19 Bald Eagles Die in... 01-12-2008 11:24 AM You said you weren't going to post any more. I guess you lied.

I changed my mind!
I refuse to be bullied anymore by a faceless, nameless piece of crap who has no other reason to be here execpt to harrass and bully me and others.

It is not gonna work any more!
So log on and off and post your insults, it no longer hurts me!!!

Get used to me, I am not leaving here!!!
Maybe someday you will be human enough to sign you name!
 
T

toppick08

Guest
Inkpen said:
A note to "YOU"..yes, "YOU"

19 Bald Eagles Die in... 01-12-2008 11:24 AM You said you weren't going to post any more. I guess you lied.

I changed my mind!
I refuse to be bullied anymore by a faceless, nameless piece of crap who has no other reason to be here execpt to harrass and bully me and others.

It is not gonna work any more!
So log on and off and post your insults, it no longer hurts me!!!

Get used to me, I am not leaving here!!!
Maybe someday you will be human enough to sign you name!
Click to expand...

I know you ain't talkin' 'bout me?
 
K

Kain99

Guest
That is such a sad story. I wonder if somone is going to take action against the trucking company. Terrible.
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
Kain99 said:
Oh no... I don't propose action. I was just wondering if some greenpeace Peta organization would run with it.
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There are fines for such things..and it does say that the net was not covering the bed of the truck.
The eagles, knowing where easy fish can be found, most likely hang out there all the time waiting for some left overs to fall out onto the ground...Bet they do it all the time...and I bet the trucks are covered all the time, execpt tis time.
I am sure USFW will investigate and levy fines if indicated to keep this from happening again.
Eagles are still protected birds.
 
T

toppick08

Guest
Inkpen said:
There are fines for such things..and it does say that the net was not covering the bed of the truck.
The eagles, knowing where easy fish can be found, most likely hang out there all the time waiting for some left overs to fall out onto the ground...Bet they do it all the time...and I bet the trucks are covered all the time, execpt tis time.
I am sure USFW will investigate and levy fines if indicated to keep this from happening again.
Eagles are still protected birds.
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So are buzzards......but nobody cries when they are poisoned or shot.
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
toppick08 said:
So are buzzards......but nobody cries when they are poisoned or shot.
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Actually buzzards are protected too and are reported to USFW, just like eagles, but they dont get the press like "our national bird", because they are "vultures" and so misunderstood!!
Vultures are neat birds..and very smart!!!
 
Mikeinsmd

Mikeinsmd

New Member
Inkpen said:
Actually buzzards are protected too and are reported to USFW, just like eagles, but they dont get the press like "our national bird", because they are "vultures" and so misunderstood!!
Vultures are neat birds..and very smart!!!
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And they'll puke on you too.
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
Interesting...I work with a lot of birds..from tiny hummers to eagles, geese, etc. and in the past 2+ years do not recall any wild turkey cases.
One reason is that they are smart and stay hidden!!!

Have caputured flocks on remote cameras at release sites.
But never recall one coming into the wildlife clinic.
 
T

toppick08

Guest
Inkpen said:
Interesting...I work with a lot of birds..from tiny hummers to eagles, geese, etc. and in the past 2+ years do not recall any wild turkey cases.
One reason is that they are smart and stay hidden!!!

Have caputured flocks on remote cameras at release sites.
But never recall one coming into the wildlife clinic.
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:diva::diva:...........:lmao:
 
FromTexas

FromTexas

This Space for Rent
19? And thats just the dead ones.

Could you imagine seeing a flock of bald eagles? I'm guessing there must have been 30 or more to start with.

That would be some sight! :faint:
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
FromTexas said:
19? And thats just the dead ones.

Could you imagine seeing a flock of bald eagles? I'm guessing there must have been 30 or more to start with.

That would be some sight! :faint:
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This the report was closer to a flock of 50!!!!
 
I

Inkpen

Guest
About 50 eagles were watching and waiting for a meal outside the Ocean Beauty Seafoods plant when the uncovered dump truck pulled out of a garage, said wildlife biologist Brandon Saito, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Once the birds began landing to gorge themselves, their massive numbers pushed others down into the sludge, which was about the consistency of quicksand, Saito said. Factory workers, who had apparently moved the truck out only for a few minutes, pulled it back inside when they saw what was happening.

"It's not a very big space for that many eagles to get into," Saito said. "Some of the birds got crushed and buried. Some were drowning in the slime. It was really heavy, thick stuff."

Temperatures in Kodiak on Friday afternoon were in the midteens, causing some of the soaked eagles to "flash freeze" when they were pulled free, Saito said.

Several workers shoveled through the mess to pull birds out as the dump truck incrementally released loads of the guts onto the garage floor, Saito said. As the birds were rescued, they were taken to a "triage" room, where employes of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge washed them off in large tubs of soapy warm water and evaluated them, he said.
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And a bit more:
Saito said he expected more of the birds could die overnight. They were to be evaluated this morning to figure out which were doing well enough to be released and which would need to undergo physical therapy, he said.

Those that need further medical attention likely will be shipped to Anchorage, where the Bird Treatment and Learning Center can care for them, he said.

Shipping them might be an issue, though. While the fish and wildlife agency has agreements with ERA Aviation and Alaska Airlines to fly injured birds for free when space is available, moving them in such large numbers could pose a problem, he said.
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L

lugebob

Guest
I lived in Adak Alaska for 2 years, and I tell ya... as sad as this sounds, in some parts of Alaska there is as many Bald Eagles as there are pigeons on a New York street. Initially I was surprise to see our national bird dumpster diving like a common seagull. But after my leashed dog was attacked and one eagle tried to make off with my stringer of 6 salmon and watching them watch us fish while shooting out 6 ft streams of crap on the rocks, I have lost that childhood love for the bird.
 
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