Bald eagle chick recovering after surgery to remove fish hook in Pennsylvania

A two-week-old bald eagle chick nesting in western Pennsylvania is recovering after emergency surgery to remove a fish hook from its stomach. Volunteers monitoring a camera at the U.S. Steel plant in West Mifflin noticed the situation and took action to save the chick. An arborist climbed to the nest to remove the eaglet, which was then rushed to a wildlife center in West Virginia for surgery. The medical team said removing the bird from the nest was the only way it would have survived. An X-ray showed the hook lodged in the eaglet’s stomach. Successful surgery The team reported that the eaglet successfully swallowed food on Sunday, which they said is a good sign. The hope is to return the eaglet to its nest in about a week. The chick is only two weeks old and weighs about two pounds.

A two-week-old bald eagle chick nesting in western Pennsylvania is recovering after emergency surgery to remove a fish hook from its stomach.

Volunteers monitoring a camera at the U.S. Steel plant in West Mifflin noticed the situation and took action to save the chick. An arborist climbed to the nest to remove the eaglet, which was then rushed to a wildlife center in West Virginia for surgery.

The medical team said removing the bird from the nest was the only way it would have survived.

An X-ray showed the hook lodged in the eaglet’s stomach.

Successful surgery

The team reported that the eaglet successfully swallowed food on Sunday, which they said is a good sign.

The hope is to return the eaglet to its nest in about a week.

The chick is only two weeks old and weighs about two pounds.