this is so sad
Washington DC Eagle Cam Watchers is feeling heartbroken.
Yesterday at 3:35 PM ·
Dear chatters: Here is the latest and last update on our precious Valor:
This is directly quoted from The Tri-State Bird Rescue Facebook page:
It is with heavy hearts that we share this update. The lack of improvement in Valor’s neurologic symptoms after a week of aggressive supportive care led us to the decision to humanely end Valor’s suffering before his condition deteriorated further. We learned yesterday afternoon that Valor had tested positive for West Nile virus; we had suspected that this was the cause of his symptoms. Infection with this virus is not always fatal in birds; however, after seven days of intensive supportive care, Valor remained slow to respond to stimuli and displayed no signs of improvement. He had to be force-fed as he showed no appetite and refused to hand-feed or self-feed. Valor was extremely lethargic and had head and body tremors—signs of advancing West Nile disease. Our professional assessment was that it was extremely unlikely that he would recover, even for placement at an educational facility. Subjecting him to further treatment, handling, and captivity and prolonging his suffering would have been inhumane and contrary to our principles as wildlife rehabilitators. A necropsy will be performed at another facility.
In the past five years, we’ve treated 300 Bald Eagles along with over 10,000 other wild birds that have relied on us for care. As professionals, we do our very best for each and every single patient, as we always have and will continue to do, and this includes Valor. We share the deep sorrow you feel for his loss and hope you know that your passion for native wildlife matters. It is so inspiring to see the community rally behind a wild animal in need; thank you to everyone who showed support for Valor and Tri-State. While this outcome was not what we wanted, there are thousands of success stories of animals receiving a second chance at life in the wild at our center and wildlife rehabilitation centers around the world—this is what motivates our staff and volunteers to continue caring for wildlife in need every day. To understand more about West Nile Virus please go to:
https://www.raptor.umn.edu/our-research/west-nileThank you all again for your support. Thank you for your understanding that we do not have the resources to reply to individual questions or phone calls about this case.
raptor.umn.edu
West Nile
Q: What is the West Nile virus?A: The West Nile virus belongs to a group of viruses known to cause encephalitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The West Nile virus is known to affect horses, birds and humans. It has also been confirmed in sheep, goats, dogs, and squir...