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Bald Eagle dies days after being rescued from floating ice in Waukegan Harbor

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Updated  January 5, 2023 4:58pm CST
Pets and Animals
FOX 32 Chicago

Bald Eagle rescued from frozen water has died

A Bald Eagle that was rescued Sunday from a piece of floating ice in Waukegan Harbor has died.

WAUKEGAN. Ill. - A Bald Eagle that was rescued Sunday from a piece of floating ice in Waukegan Harbor has died. 

On New Year's Day, the eagle was seen floating on a piece of ice in the harbor. When approached by Jim Tibensky of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, the eagle was quiet, wet and did not fly away like other nearby birds when interacted with.

"It looked so awful when I got it. It was wet, it was bedraggled, it was somewhat fluffed up, and it didn't even make eye contact," Tibensky said.

Using some quick thinking and a kayak, Tibensky was able to break a small piece of the ice the eagle was standing on and push it to shore where someone with a net captured the bird.

Bald Eagle rescued from floating ice in Waukegan Harbor

A Bald Eagle was rescued Sunday from a piece of floating ice in Waukegan Harbor, and the incident was captured on video.

The eagle was then taken to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.

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On Thursday, the wildlife center said despite promising signs of recovery over the first 48 hours, the bird took a rapid turn.

"The bird’s PCV (packed cell volume), and estimation of red blood cells, dropped from 29% at intake to just 6% last evening and eventually passed away before a blood transfusion could be initiated," the wildlife center said on Facebook.

Wildlife center officials believe the initial improvement was likely related to being warmed up and rehydrated, but then rapidly declined due to an underlying cause of illness.