[texas booster]

She examined the bird about a week ago at the rehabilitation center and determined that the wound was caused by a burn — possibly from hitting an electrical wire while flying. On Sunday she removed the scab during a 30-minute procedure in the surgery suite at Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium’s Center for Conservation and Research.

The zoo’s veterinarian intern anesthetized the eagle. He and Dr. Stice were assisted by zoo veterinary technicians.

Betsy Finch, rehabilitation manager at the center, said the plan is for Stice to attempt a skin graft on the eagle in a couple of weeks; healthy skin will be removed from elsewhere on the bird and attached to its head.

If the graft is successful, the bird would have feathers on its head again, which would be an essential step for it to be released into the wild. Without feathers, the bird would suffer dangerous sunburn.

Eagles can get sunburned? There is such a thing as avian anesthesia? Oh, the things I learn on Free Republic.

[NEMDF]

It can only get sunburned if it remains a bald bald eagle, it seems. I love his little leather hat, reminds me of WWI aviators.... But he’ll probably have to give it up, if he goes back into the wild.