Positive diagnosis for baby eagle

By Cleve Wiese

Published: May 29, 2008

A virus, not cancer, is causing the rapidly growing mass on the beak of 33-day-old eaglet receiving treatment at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, veterinarians said this morning.

Results from a biopsy analyzed at the Southeastern Cooperative for Wildlife Disease Study in Athens, Georgia confirmed yesterday that the lesion is a symptom of the virus Avian Pox rather than a tumor, said Dr. Dave McRuer, director of veterinary services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, located in Waynesboro.

Although the diagnosis is a relief, and greatly increases chances of the bird’s recovery, the virus is manifesting in a remarkably aggressive fashion, and serious beak damage caused by the growth will necessitate surgery and a long recovery process, McRuer said.

“It’s almost like it’s acting like a tumor but it’s a virus,” McRuer said. “I’ve never seen Avian Pox do this.”

The eaglet achieved fame via an infrared camera mounted in a tree near its parents’ nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, said Amy Dagnall, a spokeswoman for the garden. The “Eagle Cam,” which broadcasts streaming video onto the Internet 24 hours a day, was installed five years ago when a pair of adult bald eagles began nesting there during the mating season - usually between January and June, Dagnall said.

The popular Web site received particular attention this year as a series of dramatic mishaps destroyed the first four eggs of the season, she said. When a final, fifth egg was laid March 22, then hatched about a week later, the number of viewers skyrocketed: At least 62,262 more people tuned in this March than a year before, she said.

But the drama took an unexpectedly tragic turn May 16 when a photographer - part of an attentive press corps dubbed the “eagle-razzi” by park employees - noticed a lump on the left side of the birds beak while taking pictures through a high-powered lens, Dagnall said. The bird was removed from its nest and examined by the state wildlife veterinarian May 22, then immediately transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, the only facility in the commonwealth licensed to provide extended medical care to bald eagles, according to a press release.

Officials at the center are currently selecting the most qualified wildlife surgeon to operate on the bird, probably within the next week, McRuer said. The length of the recovery period will depend largely on how much of the beak has to be removed during the procedure, he said.

In the meantime, the eaglet will receive supportive care in the hopes that its immune system will combat the virus on its own. A new, anti-viral drug has also been prescribed, McRuer said.

Regardless, the bird will not be returned to its nest in Norfolk, McRuer said. If its beak heals sufficiently, it will be taught to fly at the Waynesboro facility and released directly into the wild, he said.