It’s been a long year at Charlottetown’s Atlantic Veterinary College for Buddy the eagle, starting when it was brought in bloody and broken after being hit by a car.
After groundbreaking surgery and a long period of rehabilitation, the bald eagle will leave AVC this week for a new, permanent home at Hope for Wildlife’s rehabilitation and education centre in Seaforth, N.S.
“On the one hand, [I’m] very happy that we’ve found such a good place for it,” said AVC wildlife technician Fiep de Bie.
“On the other hand, I will surely miss this eagle, because it has character and it went through so much.”
The male eagle could not stand, let alone fly, when it was brought to AVC in November of 2021. Veterinarians diagnosed a spinal injury.
Research in veterinary journals told staff that while corrective spinal surgery is common for dogs, it is virtually unknown in birds. There was just one reference to the surgery being done on birds, and that was 20 years ago.
Staff went ahead with the surgery and it was a success. Unfortunately, during recovery Buddy repeatedly used its wrists for support in standing, leading to injuries that permanently impaired its ability to fly. This summer, AVC announced Buddy could not be returned to the wild, and they were seeking a permanent home.
This proved a difficult task, said de Bie. With avian flu spreading all over the world, it is hard to place birds right now.
Buddy’s move to Hope for Wildlife is an expansion of an existing partnership.
“We have rotations for students that are visiting there every year,” said de Bie.
Island Morning5:33Injured AVC eagle moves to Nova Scotia
An eagle that went through ground-breaking surgery at the Atlantic Veterinary College has found a home for life in Nova Scotia. Laura Chapin heas how the Hope for Wildlife rehabilitation and education centre in Seaforth, Nova Scotia will care for the eagle for the rest of its life.
School and community groups will also be able to take advantage of educational opportunities from Buddy’s presence there.
“This will still be considered an educational animal and there will be people visiting,” said de Bie. “There will be school groups, kids of certain age, that can visit.”
Children will learn about eagles, how they live in the wild, the conservation issues eagles are facing, and Buddy’s history in particular.
It is good to have Buddy settled nearby, said de Bie, and staff from AVC will continue to monitor the raptor’s progress.
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