Glen Hazel eaglet dies from unknown illness, officials say
An eaglet at the Glen Hazel nest has died following an unknown illness, officials say.
The eaglet, referred to as GH4, died Sunday morning, according to a joint statement from Tamarack Wildlife Center, PixCams, and the Glen Hazel "eaglecam" team. The other eaglet, GH3, and the mother may also be showing signs of illness. The cause and origin of the illness remain unknown.
In a previous social media post from PixCams, officials said intervention at an eagle's nest requires both state and federal approval, due to the eagles' protected status, adding that intervention at a nest is only typically granted for threats to the life of an eagle that have a clear human origin, such as the fishhook incident at the U.S. Steel nest.
Wildlife officials, including Tamarack's executive director and licensed rehabilitator, Carol Holmgren, are closely monitoring the situation and exploring whether that permission might be granted to pull the chicks for treatment, but the response from state and federal leaders was not immediately known.
"There are several diseases and toxins that can result in similar signs, so testing would be needed to confirm the specific cause of the eaglet's distress," the joint statement read. "Eagle nestlings do not always survive, and adults may also be injured or become ill through natural occurrences."
