28 YEAR-OLD BALD EAGLE RESCUED IN GREENE COUNTY

What’s likely the oldest bald eagle living in the wild in Indiana was found with a dislocated wing and rescued in Greene County on April 15. It was the first time the 28-year-old bird had been sighted since leaving the hack tower at Monroe Lake in September 1987. The age of the bird was determined by a band identifying it as bald eagle C14. The bird has stabilized under veterinary care. According to Allisyn Gillet, the DNR’s nongame bird biologist, even after the wing mends, it is unlikely C14 would survive in the wild. If the bird is not in pain, it will be kept in captivity for the rest of its life. It’s possible it would become an education bird because of its significance as a symbol of one of the DNR’s most successful restoration efforts. Bald eagles were on the state and federal endangered species list when Indiana began its reintroduction program in 1985. Although bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered, they are protected by state and federal laws.