It’s been two months since a golfer found Orion crippled and
starving, but it could cost nearly $9,000 in medical care before
the golden eagle can survive on its own.
Gilroy – It’s been two months since a golfer found Orion crippled and starving, but it could cost nearly $9,000 in medical care before the golden eagle can survive on its own.
After various government officials shuttled the bird to doctors who patched him up, Sue Howell is now in charge as the executive director of the nonprofit Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center in Morgan Hill.
Howell is nursing the “magnificent,” nine-pound raptor back to health, but she said money’s tight despite the free orthopedic surgery Orion will receive Aug. 28 at the Princevalle Animal Hospital, in Gilroy, for a dislocated right leg.
“The leg is floppy, so right now we’re getting prepared with materials to wrap the leg, but it’s been pretty tough on us,” Howell said. “It’s very hard to get money. I’m always concerned about that.”
The WERC helps injured and abandoned wildlife recuperate before releasing them back into their natural habitats, but six- to eight-month-old Orion – the “regal” namesake of “the hunter in the sky” – suffered injuries to his legs and talons that are too severe to allow for his release, according to Howell. State and federal wildlife officials are helping the WERC find a suitable zoo or similar facility for Orion.
First, though, Dr. James Roush, who could not be reached and whom Howell called “one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country,” will put bolts in Orion’s leg for free, and the hospital will donate its X-ray machine for the cause. But Howell said she still needs cash for medical supplies, food, medications, and facility upkeep during Orion’s estimated six months of post-operative care and physical therapy.
The WERC has already spent about $450 on “special medications and blood tests,” and when it’s all said and done, Howell said the bird’s recuperation could cost between $3,600 to $9,000.
A golfer found Orion by the eighth hole of Eagle Ridge Golf Course on June 22.
“I’ve been in the golf business for more than 35 years, and I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Rick Smith, golf course general manager.
Animal control officers arrived after Filice called the police. They took the bird to the Princevalle hospital, where X-rays did not help isolate the cause of primary injuries. Howell said a golf ball is the likely culprit of a secondary “divot-like” injury on Orion’s leg.
“This is really a rarity,” Howell said. “I have never heard of an eagle getting hit on a golf course, but something happened where it caused that dislocation.”
After arriving at the hospital, Orion ate a thawed rat right away, “which is not normal for a bird to consume food in a strange situation,” Howell said. This meant Orion was on the verge of death.
“He looks beautiful now, and he’s filled out,” Howell said, adding that Orion is the “summer baby” because he’s expected to live anywhere from 30 to 40 years.
After his surgery and until Howell finds him a menagerie of sorts to call home, Orion will enjoy a green-house-sized flight enclosure at the WERC, but this all depends on local generosity.
“It’s been difficult,” Howell said. “We’re really hoping the public will help us.”
The WERC can be reached at (408) 779-9372.
