Northglenn Bald Eagle Recovered After Slingshot Attack

$14 million is what the city of Northglenn spends on parks and recreation annually, but for one bald eagle, the real cost was a metal ball bearing to the wing, courtesy of a slingshot. Twelve units of X-ray film later, and after a painstaking recovery, the eagle is back in the Colorado wild.

Let's do the math: 600 birds are admitted to the Birds of Prey rehab center every year, about 20 of them eagles. Rarely, though, does the center see a bird that's been intentionally shot, and almost never with a ball bearing. For context, this eagle's chances of survival were slim, according to Heidi Bucknam, the center's executive director.

It was January when the eagle was first spotted, struggling on the ice at Croke Reservoir in Northglenn. Adams County park ranger Karen Keeney and Northglenn park ranger Megan Wells were the first to respond, wading through the slush to rescue the bird. On paper, the eagle's prognosis didn't look good - a half-inch metal ball bearing lodged in the elbow, a massively injured wing. In practice, though, the team at Birds of Prey worked tirelessly to save her.

Fast forward a few months, and the eagle is soaring again, released back into the wild at Banner Lakes, southwest of Keenesburg. The location was chosen carefully, to avoid any territorial conflicts with other eagles. For the locals around Banner Lakes, this means one more bald eagle to spot in the skies, a symbol of freedom and resilience.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife are still investigating the shooting, asking for tips from the public. The fact that someone would intentionally harm a protected species like the bald eagle is, in Bucknam's words, "really frustrating."

The eagle's release is a result of the hard work of the rescue team, but it also highlights the importance of protecting these birds and their habitats. As the investigation continues, harming a bald eagle comes with serious consequences, both for the bird and the perpetrator.

In the end, this story costs the community more than just the price of the eagle's recovery - it's a reminder of the need for respect and care for the wildlife that shares our space. For folks around here, it's a call to be more mindful of the impact of our actions on the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. The eagle may be free once more, but the responsibility to protect her and her kind remains.