DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - An injured bald eagle, named Apollo, will soon make his nest at the Illinois Raptor Center.
At the end of January 2022, Illinois Conservation Police shared on its Facebook page that it had received reports of an injured immature bald eagle at Starved Rock. The post read, two people, along with CPO Sarah Martin and SGT Phil Wire, were able to locate and capture the injured Eagle.Â
The Eagle was taken to Countryside Animal Hospital in Streator where it was X-rayed. The hospital found the eagle had injuries preventing it from flying.
Instead of euthanizing the raptor due to its injuries, the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur took stewardship of the bird to use for educational purposes. Jacques Nuzzo, Program Director, told WAND News he believed the bird had been hit by a car at one point in his life.
Photo : Illinois Conservation Police (Facebook)
"He has an old break in a joint that is on his wing, so that break healed, but it's not extending," Nuzzo explained. "On the same side, he has a broken talon, and it takes a lot to break a talon on a raptor."
Nuzzo explained Apollo joining the Raptor Center happened by chance. Staff from the center were at Starved Rock doing programming when the Illinois Conservation Police rescued the bird. The department reached out to Nuzzo after learning of his injuries to see if he would be interested in bringing him to Decatur.
"This was God-sent to the Raptor Center."
Nuzzo said that two of the center's program bald eagles recently had to be euthanized. One of the birds had a quality of life issue and he was damaging himself in captivity. While the other was suffering from West Nile Virus complications.
"It got to the point where we knew there was nothing we could do and the eagles themselves were just not in a comfortable position," he said. "We can't let them live their life like that and that's very heartbreaking about the job."
The Illinois Raptor Center plans to use Apollo for programming and educational purposes. Throughout the year, it will share raptors and birds of prey with communities throughout the state to educate the community about the uniqueness and impact these birds have on the ecosystem.
"It's important to us because bald eagles are an intricate part of our education program because they are a conservation success," Nuzzo said.
The center is monitoring Apollo and watches his attitude and how he reacts to people. Nuzzo said he has started to eat in front of him, which is a good sign for training purposes.
Photo : Illinois Conservation Police (Facebook)
The Illinois Raptor Center has the largest flight facility in North America. The center ensures the well-being of native animals through wildlife rehabilitation. It does this through conservation awareness through educational outreach. To learn more click here.
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