He won鈥檛 be able to soar into the skies or skim the waters with his wings, but a bald eagle treated at a veterinary college at the University of Prince Edward Island after being hit by a car in October 2021 is doing well and settling in a new home.

Bald eagle 450 鈥� the 450th patient of the Atlantic Veterinary College hospital in 2021 鈥� is believed to be only the second bird in the world to receive surgery for a spinal cord compression.

鈥淚t was maybe done on a penguin like 20 years ago, but there were no real papers on it,鈥� wildlife technician Fiep de Bie said in a recent interview, adding that the procedure is 鈥渟ometimes鈥� done on cats or dogs.

鈥淭hat was very exciting. A week after the surgery, the eagle was able to stand, so we knew that we were going in the right direction,鈥� de Bie said.

When 450 was brought into the clinic, he had extensive head injuries and small cuts and bruises on his legs, she said. 鈥淗e had a lot of blood on his head and all his feathers on his head were gone.鈥�

A week after he was admitted, she said staff noticed the eagle wasn鈥檛 able to stand.

鈥淲e thought, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going on?鈥� We took X-rays and we noticed that there was an issue with the spine, but we couldn鈥檛 see precisely what it was. We did a CT scan.鈥�

The CT scan confirmed a spinal fracture, de Bie said. 鈥淚t also showed a spinal cord compression. The nerves are sort of pinched. That caused paralysis.鈥�

And while the spinal surgery was a success, she said it was the secondary injuries that were particularly troubling. The bird, she said, had a long recovery ahead.

The eagle would stand and lean on its wrists, which caused injury because the skin in that area is delicate, de Bie said. It also had some wounds on its feet and wasn鈥檛 able to perch, she added.

鈥淲e considered euthanasia a couple of times,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e thought, 鈥榃ell, are we going to heal all of this? Is it going to happen?鈥� But this eagle showed so much determination and improvement every time that we were so encouraged that we kept on going 鈥�. He went outside, he started perching, his feet were healing, so from there, there was no looking back. It was quite special.鈥�

De Bie said eagle 450 has 鈥渜uite the personality鈥� and described him as a 鈥渢alker.鈥�

鈥淚 really don鈥檛 know what it means,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 come across as stressful or something. It鈥檚 more like, acknowledging you. It鈥檚 kind of nice to hear. Like, 鈥極h, hello.鈥欌��

He is partial to quail and his favourite toy was a bright, bubble gum pink kiddie pool that he liked to dip and clean his beak in, she said.

As the bird鈥檚 health improved, she said staff began to look for a home.

The damage in the wrist bone was 鈥渢oo severe鈥� for the bird to fly long distances, she said. The bird is about six years old, and staff are not yet sure of its sex. The lifespan of a bald eagle is about 30 years.

鈥淲e thought that鈥檚 a death sentence for this animal.鈥�

They turned to Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth, N.S., which rescues, rehabilitates and releases wild animals, and also educates people about them. Hope Swinimer, founder of the centre, said she is excited about the new arrival. They plan on calling him 鈥淏uddy,鈥� she said, a name that came through stories about him in the media.

鈥淚 always call animals, 鈥楬ey, buddy,鈥欌�� de Bie said. 鈥淯sually I wouldn鈥檛 talk to wildlife at all because we want them to be released. But sometimes, I just say 鈥榖uddy,鈥� and I think one of the reporters picked up on that. And then it became Buddy.鈥�

The bird will be driven in Friday from P.E.I. to Halifax and take up residence in a 15-metre-long, three-metre-high enclosure built for him that boasts an ocean view to one side and a wooded area on another.

鈥淗e鈥檒l get lots of fresh air, he鈥檚 got a beautiful view, he鈥檒l get lots of stimulation,鈥� Swinimer said.

Staff have also put in logs left behind by post-tropical storm Fiona, as perches for the bird, she said. 鈥淥f course, we鈥檙e worried because we鈥檙e hoping he鈥檒l settle in and be comfortable.鈥�

鈥淢y biggest fear is that he might be very nervous. We鈥檒l reassess if that happens,鈥� Swinimer said. 鈥淲e want all of our education animals to have a good life with us. I鈥檓 really hoping that with a little bit of time and patience, on both our parts, that he鈥檒l settle in quite nicely.鈥�

But de Bie is not worried.

鈥淗e鈥檚 lucky,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 quite the super trooper.鈥�

鈥擧ina Alam, The Canadian Press