CLAREMORE, Okla. — Wild Heart Ranch is mourning after the death of their reoccurring guest bald eagle Clay.
On Thursday, the organization posted about an eagle brought to them by a rescuer that turned about to be one they'd helped get treatment before.
They took the eagle to the Tulsa Zoo for a check-up with their experts and they confirmed it was Clay the eagle, not a different bird. On the chance it was Clay, Annette wrote, "no doubt, he has an angel looking out for him to have been rescued twice. The first time is like winning the lottery. Lucky bird."
Clay came to us in April 2022 with a broken wing, having been surviving in a creek bed for some time. He was found a few days after our Nowata County Game Warden, Brent Clay passed away, and he was one of the eagles Brent watched fly over his land every day and told me about and Brent would have been the warden to bring him to me. Thus his name and all sorts of other reasons that made his case very personal to me. This bird's plight helped the family heal, helped us all heal.
Clay wasn't expected to fly again so while he was being treated the netting in the eagle cage wasn't replaced and he started flying and showed his strength growing. He tore through the netting and left the ranch in June 2022.
He returned last week facing multiple health issues including a severely infected foot that needed to be treated and saved in order to save Clay's life. They think some of the injuries come from a fight with another eagle.
Part of the treatment included massages for blood flow to his talon and tipping the talons to hopefully encourage healing. Annette wrote, "Some do not understand that a life for a one legged eagle would not be considered a quality life for a wild eagle. They are big heavy birds and they use their feet to perch and eat. I am not giving up anytime soon and we have seen progress. Ending his life is not my call. We are licensed through the USFWS who decides what is allowed for captivity. Yes there are amputees in captive care, wings and legs, but many are either grandfathered in (have been captive for decades) or are in other countries. Policies have been changed in the US to protect birds of prey from captive lives of struggle. We follow policy here to protect our permits so we can continue to help these animals. I am not a "keep alive at all cost to the animal" rehabber. I follow instruction of my veterinarians who also only want what is best and legally allowed for the animal."
READ MORE: FAQ about Clay's journey
A follow-up post on Sunday announced Clay had died:
If you'd like to make a monetary donation it is at— PayPal.me/Wildheart
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