National

Baby eagle found alone and hungry after storms — until happy reunion. See the eaglet

A baby bald eagle was found alone and hungry after a Texas storm. Rescuers nursed it back to health and reunited the eaglet with its parents. 
A baby bald eagle was found alone and hungry after a Texas storm. Rescuers nursed it back to health and reunited the eaglet with its parents.  Screengrab from Austin Wildlife Rescue Facebook post

A baby bald eagle was happily reunited with its parents after losing its nest during a severe storm in Texas last week, a wildlife rescue said.

The eaglet was brought to Austin Wildlife Rescue after a branch containing its entire nest fell during the storm. It was “a first of its kind” for the shelter, according to an April 17 Facebook post.

When the eagle arrived, it was dehydrated and hungry, rescuers said.

A baby bald eagle was brought to a Texas rescue after the eaglet lost its nest during a storm.
A baby bald eagle was brought to a Texas rescue after the eaglet lost its nest during a storm. Screengrab from Austin Wildlife Rescue Facebook post

As they were nursing the eaglet back to health, rescuers learned the baby’s parents were in the area.

Austin Wildlife Rescue crafted a plan to return the eaglet to its parents.

“It is truly in their best interest,” they said in the post.

The following day, rescuers and the Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden used a laundry basket and nesting materials to create a “makeshift nest,” rescuers said. Then, the nest was secured approximately 25 to 30 feet up in a new tree, according to rescuers.

Finally, the “mighty taloned nugget” was pulled safely up to the new nest.

“He seemed very excited to be back up in the tree!” Austin Wildlife Rescue said.

Since the eaglet was released into the wild, the parents have been seen multiple times, and the landowners plan to check on the nest to ensure the parents continue to return, the rescue said.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published April 19, 2024 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Baby eagle found alone and hungry after storms — until happy reunion. See the eaglet."

Kate Linderman
mcclatchy-newsroom
Kate Linderman covers national news for McClatchy’s real-time team. She reports on politics and crime and courts news in the Midwest. Kate is a 2023 graduate of DePaul University and is based in Chicago.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER