Not a good day

It's been about six hours since I had to put down the baby eagle shown below. I just got back from the vet having to euthanize another young golden eagle. She had been hit by a car but the break to her humerus was right into the elbow joint and not fixable. This poor three year old had led a hard life. The radius in her right wing had been broken at some point in her earlier life and healed on its own. And she was missing the center talon on her left foot. In spite of all that she was in rather good shape and had it not been for the vehicle she might have lived a long life. Thanks to WGF Warden Bill Robertson for transporting her half way here and to Dr. Erin Pedersen for taking care of her. It's never easy to euthanize any bird but as golden eagles are my favorites it's doubly hard.