After a woman reported a bald eagle hit by a truck while it was flying over Sunrise Highway, Suffolk Police rescued the injured bird but ultimately the bird had to be euthanized because of its injuries.
While driving on Sunrise Highway, just east of William Floyd Parkway, the woman observed a low flying bald eagle strike the top of a truck just and called 911 to report the bird was injured on the side of the road, according to a police report.
A Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol officer and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer teamed up to rescue the injured bald eagle.
Highway Patrol Officer Cody Matthews and NYS DEC Officer Nick Perkins responded and were able to get the bird in a cage. Officer Perkins took custody of the bird, which suffered a broken wing, and was brought to a rehabilitation facility for treatment.
Sadly, News 12 reported that the bird was so injured that it had to be euthanized.
While bald eagles were on the endangered species list for many years, they have made a dramatic comeback.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed ‘delisting’ the Bald Eagle in 1999, based on the fact that recovery goals for all regions of the country had largely been met a decade before — and populations were still on the rise,” reported the American Bird Conservancy. “In 2007, it became official: the Bald Eagle was no longer endangered, or even threatened. Our national emblem was back.”