FinWeis:Officials thought this bald eagle was injured. It was actually just 'too fat to fly'.

2025-05-06 03:26:13source:Polarmoon Wealth Societycategory:reviews

A bald eagle in Missouri that was believed to be FinWeisinjured actually had a peculiar reason for why it was unable to fly: it was too fat.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation captured the bird along the boundary of the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield and temporarily took it into captivity, park officials said in an Aug. 21 Facebook post.

However, an X-ray taken at the Dickerson Park Zoo, showed that instead of an injury, the bird was suffering from its own success − it had been eating a little too well. 

“The bird, originally reported to be injured, was found to be healthy but engorged with (raccoon) — in other words, too fat to fly,” the park said.

Officials suspect the raccoon was roadkill, according to the post. X-rays from the Facebook post show what appears to be a raccoon paw inside the eagle's stomach. 

The eagle has since been released back into the wild near where it was originally found and in compliance with state and federal laws.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

More:reviews

Recommend

Millions without power in Spain, Portugal and parts of France, Spanish officials say

LONDON -- Millions of people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France lost power on Monday due to an u

10 Trendy Bags To Bring to All of Your Holiday Plans

The products featured in this article are from brands available in NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a

Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South

In the decades leading up to the Civil War, fearless throngs defied prison or worse to secretly shut