The AEF and its team were able to rescue an eaglet with a fishing hook inside its stomach from a Sevierville nest 80 ft above the ground on Monday morning of this week and have it back in its nest on Tuesday morning (with the hook removed). Many thanks to our team of cooperators.
April 24, 2018 -- The American Eagle Foundation's Smoky Mountain Eagle Nest Cam featuring the AEF's bald eagle pair Lady Independence and Sir Hatcher II
During the evening of April 22, 2018 at approximately 5:55 pm, the AEF's Smoky Mountain Nest Cam Volunteer Remote Camera Operator and Liaison identified what appeared to be some type of string in the nest. Upon closer observation by AEF staff and Smoky Mountain Nest Cam Volunteers, we concluded that a fish was brought to the nest by one of the parent eagles. The fish had spinner bait with a hook and braided line attached to it. The American Eagle Foundation Staff and Volunteers closely monitored the location of the fishing tackle and line within the nest. On April 23, 2018 at approximately 6:00 pm another fish with a hook and line attached was brought into the nest by one of the eagles. At that point, the AEF's, Al Cecere and Staff quickly began planning to remove the fishing line and tackle from the nest, first by obtaining approval from the USFWS and also enlisting the help of a professional arborist tree climber to assist in the process. On the morning of April 24, 2018 Al Cecere, Connor O'Brien and the tree climbing team went to the nest to remove the fishing line and tackle, upon further observation, it became obvious that one of the eaglets (SM15) had mono-filament hanging from its beak, so the eaglet was removed from the nest and taken to a local vet office for x-rays. Those x-rays revealed that the eaglet (SM15) had swallowed a hook and was lodged inside the eaglets' stomach. The eaglet is now being cared for by UT Vet School. We will work to keep everyone informed and deliver information on the status of SM15 as we receive it. Thank you for your patience.
4/24/18 - Update from Al Cecere- UT vets were able to remove the hook from the eaglets stomach, hopefully the eaglet will be returned to the nest soon.
Lady Independence & Sir Hatcher II have a special history with the American Eagle Foundation and its eagle repopulation & conservation programs. Lady was hatched at Dollywood in the nest of non-releasable Bald Eagles Independence & Franklin in 2008 and was banded & released at the AEF's Hack tower on Douglas Lake at about 13 weeks of age. She returned to the area with her mate (AEF named "Sir Hatcher I") in 2011, and they produced 16 eaglets together through 2017. In 2018, Lady returned with a new mate, "Sir Hatcher II ". (We have no idea what happened to her original mate). The new male was also banded by the AEF And had been rehabbed by the AEF after "failing to fledge" from a wild nest in Marion County in East Tennessee. This eagle was subsequently released from the AEF's hacktower on Douglas Lake in 2012. Lady and Sir Hatcher II are currently raising 3 eaglets together.
All photos Copyright 2018. American Eagle Foundation (
www.eagles.org) All rights reserved.
