Volunteers on Haida Gwaii have rescued 13 injured eagles since December 28, 2021 and most of the incidents are preventable, Leila Riddall, a volunteer said on July 19.
No one had a box or a blanket in their car, but Falconbridge knew he had to act fast. Once the bird made it into the forest he knew it would be very difficult to get it out because its wings would get caught in the trees.Two more cars pulled over. Luckily, a member of the Search and Rescue team was in one and he started looking for a blanket and tote to put the eagle in.
“Got to go really slow with birds. Really slow and gentle and talk to them and look into their eyes, they’re really intelligent creatures,” Falconbridge said. Riddall also does a lot of rescues herself in the northern communities, while another volunteer covers the southern region of Haida Gwaii. After doing this for almost a decade, Riddall said these numbers are not unusual, and it’s really unfortunate because many of the injuries are preventable.
There are also specialized non-electrocution power lines that would benefit Haida Gwaii, Riddall said. While it’s more expensive, in areas where there is a high population of birds being electrocuted it would be worth the extra cost.