While officials continue to investigate the deaths of four bald eagles found this month in Sussex County, a couple injured birds found with them have been released from an area rehabilitation center.
Last week, the dead eagles were discovered near Dagsboro. Another group of six eagles, who were found acting disoriented, were taken up to the Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark. Three of them died on the way.
Lisa Smith is the executive director of the Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research organization. She says when the survuving birds arrived, they were weak and unable to stand.
“It’s pretty rare for us to get three eagles in at once. And since we don’t know what happened with these birds, we couldn’t say how often, whatever it is, that happens to them," said Smith.
A juvenile eagle was released last Thursday and a female adult was released on Monday.
Smith says the third eagle will take longer to recover.
“This bird had electrocution injuries and had some feather damage and will likely be with us for a while,” said Smith.
The organization took blood samples and sent them to the New Bolton toxicology lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The carcasses collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife were sent to be studied at a lab in Oregon.
Officials are not commenting on this investigation. Though bald eagles were delisted from the Endangered Species Act in 2007 -- they still receive special protection from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act. Felony killing of a bald eagle results a fine of $250,000 or two years in prison.
Last month, 13 bald eagles were found dead near Federalsburg, Maryland. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that those birds did not die from natural causes. A $25,000 reward will be given to anyone who can lead to the person or group of people who killed the birds that were found in Maryland.
