Baby eagles fleeing nests due to extreme heat in B.C., says rescue centre
Staff at the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) on Vancouver Island believe high temperatures are to blame for an influx of young eagles requiring care.
MARS staff say they're caring for 18 eagles right now -- 13 babies and five adults or juveniles – which is highly unusual for the summer season.
Staff believe that young eagles are leaving their nests before they're ready to fly in an effort to escape the heat.
"It's so hot where they are in their nests that they're just trying to leave early to balance out that temperature," said Kiersten Shyian, assistant manager of wildlife rehabilitation at MARS.
"It's crazy how many we're getting. They're leaving early because of the heat," she said.
The animal centre says they're also getting reports of baby eagles that have fallen from nests. Many appear dehydrated, skinny, and "covered in bugs" when they first come in. Most have their down feathers still, meaning they're roughly a month to a couple of months old.
Caregivers add that it's unusual to have an influx of eagles in the summer, because winter is typically their busiest month of the species.
'RAVENOUS APPETITES'
With nearly 20 eagles in its care, MARS says it struggled to find enough fish to feed them at first.
"A couple of days ago our fridges were pretty much empty because we were going through fish so fast," said Shyian. "Because feeding 18 eagles is a lot of food, and they have very ravenous appetites."
The animal centre then turned to social media to help stock its fridges. Since then, Shyian says the community response has been overwhelming.
Community members have been donating pounds of fish after the animal centre sent out the request, particularly for salmon, which are easy to puree for the baby eagles.
The response was so generous that staff are now asking for donors to wait for roughly two weeks so that the centre can go through its current supply.
"We're full at the moment but we're going through about 10 kilograms of fish a day," said Jo Stiles, an animal caregiver at MARS.
"So in another two to three weeks we'll be in the same spot," she said.
MARS staff say they're grateful for the contributions they've received so far.
"People have been so generous," said Stiles. "I've always found with this community, if we mention the word 'eagle,' people are right there to help."
Donations to MARS can be dropped off at 331 Williams Beach Rd. in Merville, though the rescue centre asks that you call them before making a donation at 778-428-1990.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Australian police arrest 7 alleged teen extremists linked to stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church
Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday, as a judge extended a ban on social media platform X sharing video of a knife attack on a bishop that started the criminal investigation.