A bald eagle near Jeffers Pond died Jan. 12 after being struck by a motorist, according to Prior Lake Police and a witness who urged locals to learn more about treating bald eagles respectfully.
The collision happened on Eagle Creek Avenue and was a hit-and-run, said Cheryle Gannaway, who drove up to the spot shortly afterward. A small group of people there were unsure what to do with the bird; someone suggested just throwing it away, she said.
“I was like, wait a second, it’s a national symbol, we can’t do that,” Gannaway said.
So she immediately reached out to a network of local and federal organizations that deal with injured and dead eagles, calling the University of Minnesota veterinary college’s Raptor Center and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
The community in a written statement said it worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota State Patrol to get the bird to the National Eagle Repository in Colorado.
Bald eagles, once critically endangered, fly throughout North America, hunting fish and reaching wingspans of 6 feet or more.
Federal law bans killing, selling or disturbing them or their eggs, according to the wildlife service. The Duluth News Tribune last year reported dozens of Midwest residents were charged or convicted for running an eagle trafficking ring in recent years, for instance.
But the nonprofit Raptor Resource Project’s website says accidental injuries or deaths generally don’t lead to prosecution. Prior Lake interim Police Chief Booker Hodges this week said the department hasn’t opened an investigation of the collision.
Nonetheless, Gannaway said the incident made her feel sick.
“What really bothered me was that nobody, first of all, knew what to do,” she added.
The Raptor Resource Project recommends calling the wildlife service, local police or other authorities after finding an injured or dead bird or causing the same. Injured birds can go to rehabilitation centers like the university raptor center in St. Paul, which helps hundreds of birds of prey each year, according to its website.
Found dead eagles are typically sent to the national repository, which legally provides eagle feathers to Native American tribes around the country for cultural and religious ceremonies.
