Very sick baby

His name is MUNCHIE and he's about three months old. This beautiful Golden Eagle was found on the ground just outside of Riverton unable to fly very far. Stan Harter, WGF Biologist from Lander was willing to meet me in Meeteetse to hand him over so neither of us had to make the whole drive.

He only weighs five pounds, about half what he should be. And after an exam I found out why. He has a problem called "frounce" which is a bacterial infection in his throat and esophagus. Similar to "thrush" found in humans, it causes thick cheesy like substances to form which, given time, will completely close off the throat making it impossible to swallow.

MUNCHIE is now on medication twice a day to stop and reverse these growths but as he can't eat normal food he's now being tube fed with a high calorie critical care food made for meat eaters. That isn't very much fun for either of us as I have to wrap him in a large blanket so he can't foot me and then pass the tube down into his crop and push the plunger. He will have the medicine twice a day for 14 days. Hopefully this will work and he'll be able to eat on his own after that.

His attitude is very good, hence his name as he want's a piece of me every time I enter his mew.