Now investigators are trying to figure out who or what is
responsible.
The eagles are being treated at The Tri-State Bird Rescue
in Newark, where they are currently in stable condition.
State fish and wildlife officials say a resident reported
finding one of the dead eagles on Saturday in Dagsboro, Sussex County - about
two hours south of Wilmington.
Not far away, officials say a group of eight eagles was
spotted acting erratically.
Sgt. John McDerby of the Delaware Division of Fish and
Wildlife explains, "Some of them weren't able to fly, thus seemed to be
kind of stumbling and disoriented."
Five of the eagles were captured in a field. Three died on
the way to the rescue.
On Sunday, two more eagles were found in Dagsboro. One was
dead and the other was taken to the rescue for treatment.
Lisa Smith from the Tri-State Bird Rescue tells us,
"This would be unusual. We get about fifty bald eagles a year here for
treatment, but we don't normally see cases like this."
Tests have been performed on the birds and the results
should be back in a few days. Until then, officials say they'll be trying to figure
out what's causing the illness before it affects more birds.
Sgt. McDerby says, "If there's something
environmentally out there we want to make sure we can figure out what it is,
narrow it down, get it cleaned up and taken care of so we don't have additional
eagles that are affected."
If you see any dead or injured bald eagles, officials say
to not touch or try to capture them yourself. Instead, contact the Division of
Fish and Wildlife. If you have any information about the dead eagles, call the
Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources 24 hour hotline at 1-800-292-3030.
You may be interested in reading: Thirteen Bald Eagles Found Dead on a Maryland Farm: May Have Been Poisoned
