A bald eagle that forced the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to reroute some trains Wednesday after it was found on the tracks will be euthanized because of the extent of its injuries, a D.C. wildlife rescue group said Thursday.
City Wildlife said in a Facebook post that X-rays and veterinarian examinations found that multiple fractures in the bird’s wing cannot be repaired and that “humane euthanasia is the only responsible option.
“We would, of course, had loved to have saved this bird, but the injuries were too severe,” the group said.
{mosads}”Our built-up environment makes life convenient and pleasant for us, but in so many ways it makes survival difficult for wild animals, who have evolved to live in a very different world,” the group added, “The eagle is, tragically, another victim whose life ended too soon.”
The injured eagle was found Wednesday evening near the Morgan Boulevard Metro station in Prince George’s County, Md., authorities said.
Metro tweeted a photo of the eagle shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday and informed riders that two train lines could experience delays.
It is unclear where the bald eagle came from or what caused its injury.