Crowned eagle saved from near death, released back into the wild

Durban — A crowned eagle was rehabilitated and safely released recently during collaborative efforts by Crocworld Conservation Centre, Scottburgh Veterinary Clinic, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and FreeMe Wildlife.

The eagle, considered South Africa’s most powerful bird, was spotted floating in the water by a family fishing out at sea in June. The eagle was believed to have been suffering from dehydration and fatigue after being found in the seawater.

After the bird was saved from near death, it was brought to Dr Jonathan Clark of Scottburgh Veterinary Clinic who assessed and medicated it.

Dr Jonathan Clark did a full health check on the juvenile male crowned eagle that was rescued. FreeMe Wildlife was there to tag the eagle for research purposes before it was released. Picture: Crocworld Conservation Centre

The manager of Crocworld Conservation Centre, James Wittstock, said they got a call from Scottburgh Vet and asked if the centre could help rehabilitate the bird.

“They kindly offered to provide the medication if we could look after the bird, feeding it and creating the right environment for rehabilitation. After two to three weeks, the bird was eating, strong, and showing signs that it was ready for release,” Wittstock said.

Wittstock said Crocworld was contacted by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to ask if the bird could be ringed as part of their Crowned Eagle Project, which monitors and researches the species. Members from the non-profit animal clinic, FreeMe Wildlife, came down from Howick to ring the bird on the day of its release.

“We had the whole team involved in the bird’s rescue and rehabilitation at Crocworld Conservation Centre where it was safely released. It flew into a tree and then finally off into the distance, which was great to see,” Wittstock said.

The bird flew off beautifully, landed in a nearby tree, much to the delight of the onlookers, before flying off into the distance. Picture: Crocworld Conservation Centre

Wittstock said Crocworld Conservation Centre was dedicated to animal conservation. Rehabilitating rescued animals was one of their many functions.

Crocworld is a member of Species360 - a global conservation entity that facilitates information collection from 1 200 aquariums, zoos, and universities, as well as having research and governmental facilities worldwide across 99 countries on six continents.

“Members like Crocworld curate the Zoological Information Management System, the world’s most comprehensive database of knowledge on more than 22 000 species, for the global fight against extinction,” Wittstock said.

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