What Happened After This Eaglet Swallowed a Fishhook on Livestream Is Incredible
A two-week-old bald eaglet was being fed by its parent in a Pennsylvania nest when it swallowed something no bird should ever encounter: a fishhook, complete with fishing line and lure. The moment, captured live on the U.S. Steel eagle nest webcam near the company’s Irvin Plant, triggered an extraordinary cross-state rescue that ended with emergency surgery on one of the youngest avian patients imaginable.
The eaglet, known as USS11 to the community of viewers who follow the nest via livestream, had no way of knowing what its parent had brought back. The hook had likely been embedded in a fish caught from nearby waters, and when the adult eagle delivered the meal, the chick swallowed the hidden hardware along with it.
‘Your Heart Drops’
For the people who watch the nest closely, the moment was gut-wrenching.
“Your heart drops, right? They become your babies, and whenever you see your own child get injured, you want to help in any way you can,” said Don German, a retired manager at U.S. Steel, told CBS News.
Observers quickly contacted Tamarack Wildlife Center, which recommended removing the eaglet for “medical evaluation and treatment,” according to a Facebook post from the center.
“It is usually advisable to avoid interfering with nests, but ingestion of the hook and fishing line posed a risk of death to the young eaglet,” the post shared.
Permissions In an Hour — On a Weekend
Rescuing an eaglet from an active bald eagle nest is no simple task. The operation required approvals from federal agencies, state agencies and the landowner. Carol Holmgren of Tamarack Wildlife Center marveled at the speed of the coordination.
“To get all of those permissions in the course of an hour on a weekend was just stunning,” Holmgren said.
By approximately 3:30 p.m. Saturday — the same day as the incident — a crew from Northwood Tree Care had climbed to the nest and extracted the tiny bird.
“We ended up putting it into almost like a tool bag and zippered it up, then got it to the ground, carried it up the embankment, and got it into the vehicle,” German said.
Surgery Less Than 12 Hours Later
The eaglet was transported to Morgantown, West Virginia, where avian veterinary specialist Dr. Jesse Fallon of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia performed the operation. X-rays revealed the hook had moved “deep into the digestive tract,” requiring surgical removal.
The surgery was performed less than 12 hours after the eaglet swallowed the hook.
“Surgery is risky in a patient this young, but initial indicators are promising,” Tamarack Wildlife Center said, adding that “the most dangerous first hurdle has been cleared.”
The wildlife center said USS11 could potentially return to its nest within about one week and is expected to be accepted back by its parents.
U.S. Steel issued a statement underscoring what the nest means to its community: “The bald eagles nesting near our Irvin Plant are an important part of U. S. Steel—symbols of pride for our employees and the focus of a growing community of nature lovers that follow the family via webcam.”
The company added, “We’re deeply concerned about the health of USS11 and are grateful to Tamarack Wildlife Center for acting quickly to ensure USS11 received necessary treatment.”
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
