A young osprey was found in Duck Saturday, June 8 bleeding from the chest and was subsequently brought to Roanoke Island Animal Clinic.

Dr. Mark Grossman treated the bird for pain and infection. He said x-rays revealed the bird was shot twice by a pellet rifle/gun. The osprey was transported the following day to Lou Browning for follow-up care and rehabilitation.

Dr. Grossman thinks the bird’s prognosis is pretty good. “There were no broken bones and it looks like the pellets are buried in the muscle,” he said Saturday. “This is important because lead does not get absorbed from muscle so we don’t have to be too concerned about lead poisoning. The bird is very stable and already ate some fish for us.”

Ospreys are federally protected under wildlife laws. The migratory birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) 16 U.S.C. All active nests (incubating adult, eggs, or young present) of migratory bird species are also protected by the MBTA.

Anyone with information on who may have shot this bird should call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 1-800-662-7137.

 

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Controversial zoning proposal withdrawn

Henderson man sought for Handee Hugo break-in