‘Too fat to fly:’ Rescued bald eagle thought to be injured was just stuffed on roadkill

REPUBLIC, Mo. (Gray News) - A bald eagle originally believed to be injured was captured only for rescuers to discover it was just full from a heavy meal.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reported a team had rescued a bald eagle that was found along the boundary of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Republic, Missouri.

It was originally reported that the eagle was injured, however, the Department of Conservation said the eagle appeared to be healthy.

Turns out, the eagle had just engorged itself with suspected raccoon roadkill.

“In other words, too fat to fly,” the department said in a Facebook post.

X-ray photos provided by the Dickerson Park Zoo, show the outline of a paw in the eagle’s bloated stomach and nothing else amiss.

The department said the bird was rehabilitated and released near where it was found, in compliance with state and federal laws.

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