A 2-week-old eaglet from the U.S. Steel nest in West Mifflin this weekend underwent surgery after eating a fish hook.
The bird was seen in live video footage eating a yellow lure and fishing line, Tamarack Wildlife Center said in a social media post.
A U.S. Steel representative who oversees the eagle nest called Tamarack Wildlife Center.
Officials from the wildlife center in a social media post said they usually avoid interfering with nests, but the young eagle’s life was at risk after eating the fishhook. Officials secured federal and state permissions to remove the eagle from the nest for medical treatment.
The eaglet ad emergency surgery less than 12 hours after swallowing the hook Saturday, Tamarack Wildlife Center said.
After x-rays showed the hook was located “deep into the digestive tract,” officials determined surgery would be necessary, the center’s social media post said.
Officials said surgery for a bird that young is risky but initial signs are promising.
“The most dangerous first hurdle has been cleared,” said Dr. Jesse Fallon from the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, who treated the bird.
Arborists from Northwood Tree Care who had rescued the eagle also cleared remaining fishing line from the nest. The young eaglet could be returned there in about a week, according to Tamarack Wildlife Center.
In 2022, the wildlife center helped another injured U.S. Steel eaglet. The bird, named Rosie, was successfully treated for an injury and released after several months of care.
The first of three eggs in the U.S. Steel nest hatched late last month.
