The bird could move both feet, but one showed reduced grip.
The team initiated gradual warming and supportive care while minimizing handling.
Only after the eagle began becoming more physiologically stable did veterinarians turn their full attention to the net.
The Remaining Strands Had Tightened Around One Leg
When the wet feathers were separated carefully, the team discovered that the netting had wrapped more tightly around the lower portion of one leg than was visible during the river rescue.
Several strands crossed superficial tissues.
One had created a pressure mark.
The foot below the constriction was mildly swollen.
The veterinary team immediately assessed circulation.
They compared the temperature of the affected foot with the opposite foot.
They checked color.
They evaluated movement of the toes and response to touch.
The foot was not cold or obviously nonviable, which was encouraging.
The toes still moved.
However, grip strength was reduced.
The strands were then cut individually rather than pulled off as a single mass.
Each piece was removed while the underlying tissue was examined.
Superficial abrasions became visible where the net had rubbed against the skin.
No catastrophic laceration was found.
Still, the team remained cautious.
A limb that has been constricted can sometimes deteriorate later.
Swelling can increase after circulation is restored.
Nerve function can be temporarily impaired.
Muscle tissue may also have suffered from prolonged compression.
The foot would need repeated examination.
The Wings Had Been Restrained in Different Ways
The net had not affected both wings equally.
One wing appeared to have been held close against the eagle’s body.
The opposite wing had more freedom of movement and had likely done most of the work during the bird’s attempts to escape.
That created two different concerns.
The restrained wing might have suffered compression or abnormal joint positioning.
The freer wing might have experienced muscle strain from repeated struggling.
Veterinarians palpated the bones and joints of both wings.
There was no obvious open fracture.
The team checked range of motion carefully.
Because the bird was still hypothermic and exhausted, no one attempted an aggressive orthopedic examination.
Detailed imaging could wait until the eagle was more stable.
The immediate goal was to prevent additional stress.
Possible Water Aspiration Was Another Serious Concern
The bird’s head had remained close to the water for an unknown period.
The observer had reported seeing the beak touch the surface repeatedly.
That raised concern that the eagle may have inhaled small amounts of water.
Aspiration can cause irritation and inflammation within the respiratory system.
In severe cases, it can contribute to pneumonia or compromise oxygen exchange.
The absence of obvious coughing does not rule out the problem in birds.
Veterinarians therefore monitored respiratory rate, effort, and overall oxygenation closely.
Oxygen supplementation was available if the bird’s condition required it.
The eagle’s breathing remained fast during the first part of the examination but did not become progressively more difficult.
That was encouraging.
It was not enough to declare the respiratory system normal.
Aspiration-related complications can sometimes appear later.
The medical team planned to continue monitoring breathing over the next several days.
Radiographs Brought the First Major Piece of Good News
Once the eagle’s body temperature had improved and the team felt the bird could tolerate additional handling, radiographs were obtained.
The images were used to evaluate both wings, the shoulder region, the entangled leg, and areas that could have been injured during prolonged struggling.
No major fracture was identified.
The long bones of the wings remained intact.
There was no obvious displaced fracture of the affected leg.
The shoulders were aligned.
That finding changed the long-term outlook significantly.
A serious fracture could have required surgery or made release impossible.
Instead, the largest immediate concerns became soft-tissue injury, circulation, exhaustion, hypothermia, possible respiratory complications, and feather damage.
“The absence of a fracture was very encouraging, but it did not mean the bird was ready to recover overnight,” Collins said. “The eagle had been restrained in moving water, was significantly chilled, and had used a tremendous amount of energy trying to escape. We still had to determine what those stresses had done to the rest of the body.”
The Bird Was Not Fed Immediately
People often want to feed exhausted wildlife as soon as it reaches care.
For this eagle, stabilization came first.
The bird was still cold.
Its circulation was recovering.
It was profoundly fatigued.
An unstable animal may not digest food normally, and attempting to feed before adequate stabilization can create unnecessary risk.
The medical team therefore focused initially on warming, hydration, and cardiovascular support.
Fluids were administered as medically appropriate.
The eagle was housed on padded flooring rather than a perch because staff did not want the bird falling while weak.
The room was quiet.