An eagle viewing float tour became more dramatic when it became an eagle rescue.
On Sunday afternoon, Sunwolf float tour guide Victor Perichon was taking a group of outdoor enthusiasts down the river to view the many eagles currently visiting Squamish when he spotted an injured juvenile eagle struggling at the river’s edge.
“We were taking customers down the Cheakamus River to do the eagle float and we spotted this eagle with a broken wing,” said Perichon.
After the tour Perichon and fellow guide Jordan Bastin went back to rescue the approximately 10-pound bird.
“We approached it slowly, covered it with a blanket and put it into a box,” he explained. The animal was understandably defensive when the guides approached.
“He was hissing at us and things like that.”
Perichon said he has never captured an eagle before, but read about guides doing it, so thought since the bird was obviously hurt, he should do the same thing.
The bird was taken to the home of a Sunwolf employee who kept it warm and safe until a representative from the Delta-based Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (O.W.L) could arrive Monday afternoon to take the bird back to the centre for treatment.
While it awaited pick up, the eagle was quiet and seemed relaxed wrapped in blankets and in a snug container in the hallway, Perichon said.
The guides did the right thing in this case because the bird was in immediate danger and clearly injured, said Martina Versteeg, of the rehabilitation centre, but she said usually the best thing to do is call in the experts.
“It was a good scenario but we always suggest calling a rehab centre before or during a rescue,” said Versteeg. “So we know what is going on and if we can offer any advice.”
Sometimes it is not necessary to rescue the animal, she said, but that may not be obvious to a person who doesn’t specialize in caring for eagles. The organization has volunteers all around the province who can be dispatched to help, she added.
Eagles are the most common patients the centre sees, especially at this time of year, Versteeg said.
“They either fight for food or they are reunited with their mates and they are fighting for territory,” she said, adding many birds are electrocuted when they strike wires or fly through them chasing prey.
Once the eagle is rehabilitated it will be returned to Squamish.
The experience of rescuing the eagle had a big impact on Perichon.
“It felt like doing something helpful for another living being,” he said. “Looking through its eyes and the bird looking at me, that felt really like a sense of connection. For me to hold the idea that I was helping the bird… was a beautiful thing. It felt meaningful.”
If you see an injured eagle call O.W.L at 604-946-3171.
