Courtney Short probably never imagined he’d end up a rescuer while on his way to work the graveyard shift at Hill Air Force base in Northern Utah. He probably also never expected that this one deed would also raise the awareness of a problem that is turning deadly to wildlife. Lead.
Courtney encountered a bald eagle who was so weak it allowed itself to be picked up and even cradled like a baby. He rushed it to the nearby Humane Society where it’s receiving care, but unfortunately it’s not doing well. Caregivers determined quickly the bird was suffering from lead poisoning. Although they’re injecting him with calcium in hopes of filtering the lead from its system, the eagle may not survive.
But what Courtney’s actions have accomplished is to give this bird a chance at survival. Not only that, but it’s also raised awareness of one more case of lead poisoned wildlife in the area. The cause is linked to lead bullets used by hunters. If an animal is shot but not reclaimed it can go off and die and then become food for scavengers who in turn ingest the lead and die. There is hope that in spreading awareness of how damaging this practice is to wildlife hunters and fishermen will stop using lead. This was the second eagle within the month to be brought into the Humane Society suffering from the poisoning.
So Courtney’s good deed is two-fold. He’s given the bird a chance and shined light on a damaging practice that needs to change. Bravo!
Soul Bulbs 