Officers with the New York Police Department’s Harbor Unit are being praised for rescuing an injured Bald Eagle that had gotten trapped on ice in the middle of the Hudson River.
Bald Eagles are America’s national bird. They’re a highly-protected species with a wingspan of up to seven feet long, often making their homes near large bodies of water for easy access to fish.
One of these Bald Eagles was discovered floating on a large chunk of ice in the middle of the Hudson River, which flows almost entirely through the state of New York.
Officers with the NYPD’s Harbor Unit, a special maritime division of the force, noticed the out-of-place raptor at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, February 17.
Bald Eagles are a common sight on the Hudson River during the winter months.
Injured eagle in intensive care after NYPD officer rescue
Acting quickly, the officers used a boat to get close to the eagle and secured it with a catchpole, successfully bringing it aboard and placing it in a warm blanket before transferring it into an animal crate.
The Harbor Unit officers said they noticed one of the eagle’s claws were bloody. Video footage of the rescue also shows a mark above the bird’s right eye.
Law enforcement officials say they relinquished the injured eagle to Raptor Trust, a local animal sanctuary for birds of prey, for rehabilitation and medical treatment.
Raptor Trust told the media that the rescued eagle is in the intensive care ward at their facility. They also revealed that it’s a senior bird; Bald Eagles usually live around 15 – 20 years in the wild, with the longest recorded lifespan measuring at 38 years.
It’s not unusual to see Bald Eagles on the Hudson at this time of year. The species often migrates to the area for winter fishing, with numbers peaking in January and February.
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