It took tons of luck and the kindness of two brothers for a bald eagle to get a second chance to live. The massive bird got caught in a hunting trap and the odds were definitely not if its favor, but it got some unexpected help.
Two nice guys (and brothers), Michael and Neil Fletcher went out off Windy Lake in Ontario for a trip when spotted a bunch of ravens circling not far from them. They immediately realized there might an injured animal, so the pair rushed to investigate. The two brothers were both surprised to discover a bald eagle was trapped there. The iconic bird got its foot stuck in a trap.
Michael and Neil were both happy the eagle was still alive and they jumped to help the poor bird out. They thought the large eagle may get panicked so they initially put one of their clothes over its head to help it keep its calm, then they released it from the deadly trap. Not an easy mission, though.
“It was relieving to see that it was still alive,” Neil recalls. “I knew we had to do something right away. At first the eagle was a bit nervous, but as soon as he realized we were trying to help he kind of calmed down a little bit. The eagle was actually holding on to [the trap] and we were having a hard time getting him to let go.”
Watch the dramatic rescue, here:
Since holding a bald eagle into your arms isn’t something to deal with everyday, once the heroic brothers released the bird, they thought to grab some photos of the moment. The result was nothing but an epic selfie!
“I knew this would never happen again, so before we let it go, I told my brother Michael, ‘we should take a picture with it,'” Neil said. “The bird had its mouth open, but he never tried to fly or bite or do anything.”
Thanks to the Fletcher brothers’ gesture an iconic bald eagle to the chance to fly again. Their efforts have been highly appreciated by the community. Even Chris Blomme – a bird expert with the Sudbury Ornithological Society said the two brothers did a wonderful job.
“I think it’s really great they took the gumption to actually try and deal with the bird, because it’s quite a large, predatory bird with sharp claws and a sharp beak,” Chris Blomme said. “Most people might be a bit hesitant to approach them. However, covering them up over the head is a good way to blind the bird so you can approach it.”
Here’s the moment the two brothers released the rescued bird:
h.t. CBC