2 fighting bald eagles freed from power line in Surrey
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A pair of bald eagles found themselves in a tangle in Surrey, BC, before electricians and firefighters helped a local wildlife rehabilitation group free the birds.
The Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, based in neighboring Delta, B.C., said in a social media post that the eagles were fighting when they became entangled in a power line above a residential street on Sunday.
Photos shared by the society show the eagles with their legs wrapped around power lines and hanging upside down facing each other with their wings open.
Video of the rescue shows three people in fire department ladder buckets approaching the trapped birds.
While one person pulled the wires to begin the unraveling process, another wearing long, protective gloves clapped, sending the eagles in opposite directions – apparently no one was worse off after their plight.
The society says bald eagles often fight to protect the nest or their young at this time of year, “and this was the best possible outcome for them to return to their respective young.”
Thousands of eagles have flocked to the Fraser Valley. The birds gather in the Harrison Mills area to feed on salmon as part of the annual migration. Our made-up britches went to see the seasonal spectacle.
A statement from BC Hydro said its crews were notified of the problem on Sunday and “immediately de-energized the line to assist in a safe evacuation.”
Surrey Fire Services responded and worked with the bird rescue group, it says, bringing one of its members up a ladder to help carefully free the birds.
“Once their claws were separated, both eagles immediately flew away – without any injuries.”
