Flashback Friday: Eagle gets trapped in Orange County drain

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Friday marks one year since a female bald eagle became trapped in a storm drain in Orange County’s Azalea Park neighborhood.

Portions of Curry Ford and South Goldenrod roads were closed while officials tried to free the 5-year-old bird, who was lodged in the drain for about 1½ hours.

Watch the original story below:

A witness told Channel 9 last year that he saw two eagles fighting in the sky when one plunged toward the ground.

Another eagle remained with the stuck bird for more than 30 minutes, but when it flew away, the female bird fell into the drain.

Watch the rescue effort below (part 1):

Onlookers cheered and applauded once officials freed the bird, who had an injured leg and chest and a cracked beak.

A rehabilitation expert said it is likely that the male eagle flew into the female’s territory, triggering an aerial fight.

Watch the rescue effort below (part 2):

The injured bird was taken to Maitland’s Audubon Center for Birds of Prey before being transferred to the Winter Park Veterinary Hospital. She died five days after her rescue.

The bird had accumulated fluid around her heart and lung because of puncture wounds, and she was also being treated for possible organ failure, her caregivers said.

Watch the original story about the eagle's death below:

A necropsy was performed at the University of Georgia and the eagle's remains were sent to the National Eagle Repository. Her feathers were donated to Native American tribes.

Fully rehabilitating an eagle typically takes six weeks and costs $3,000, an expert said.

Cox Media Group