VALDOSTA – Lowndes County Animal Services Officer Jeff Atkison was dispatched last week to a location on Highway 376 in response to a passerby calling to report a bald eagle on the ground in a roadside ditch. 

With assistance from licensed trapper Marshall Locher of Locher’s Reptiles, the eagle was contained until an officer from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources arrived to transport the bird to Quailwood Animal Hospital for veterinary evaluation and care, county officials said this week. 

The eagle remains in protective care at Auburn University’s, Southeastern Raptor Center, until it can be rehabilitated and released, county officials said. 

According to rehabilitators, the ideal location for release is near where the raptor was found. 

 “The possible return of a bald eagle is exciting news for Lowndes County. Bald eagles are a symbol of national freedom, a gift our community knows something about,” Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter said.

Bald eagles were added as endangered species to Georgia’s Protected Wildlife List in 1974. According to www.georgiawildlife.com, “The nesting population of bald eagles in Georgia has continued to grow, surpassing 100 occupied nest territories in 2007 and more than 200 nest territories in 2015. The 2017 surveys documented a record 218 nests at least 142 of which were successful.”

Georgia Department of Resources representatives remind residents that ill or injured wildlife should be reported immediately to local authorities. Residents should not come in direct contact with wildlife to include attempting to rehabilitate, state officials said. Wildlife trappers and rehabilitators are required to be licensed, a part of which includes specialized equipment and training.

Locally, Lowndes County Animal Services has named the bald eagle Moody, as a gesture of appreciation to the men and women of Moody Air Force Base, county officials said. Updates on Moody will be released as more information becomes available.