The bald eagle is a symbol of American pride and strength.
But sometimes even the strong need a helping hand. And that’s exactly what happened to one beautiful bald eagle in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Officers with the Fairbanks Airport Police and Fire Department were alerted by a good Samaritan Sunday that a juvenile bald eagle was in need of help after it was found frozen under snow.
Authorities said the eagle was found “frozen and unable to fly.”
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Police then requested assistance from the Alaska Raptor Center. The organization advised them it would be best to secure the bird in the backseat of a patrol car to help it thaw out.
In a post on Facebook, officers said the juvenile eagle was “resting peacefully in a dark, quiet corner of the station” and was picked up by a representative from the Alaska Fish & Game and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, who assessed the condition of the bird.
The following day, Fairbanks Airport Police released a video of the raptor returning to the wild.
“After resting peacefully in a kennel in the Chief’s bay, getting fed salmon filets and fatty steak and getting all dry, our little guy/gal seemed ready to fly the coop (pun intended),” the department wrote on Facebook.
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The department called the eagle’s release the “BEST ENDING EVER.” Police said they would have liked to keep the bird as their mascot, but they released it so it could “do all the fun raptor things.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the bald eagle’s physical condition was fine after warming up inside.
The bird took flight and showed no signs of struggling.
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The individual who called for assistance remained anonymous, but officials thanked the good Samaritan for help saving the juvenile bald eagle.
In December, President Biden signed a bill officially designating the bald eagle the national bird.
The bald eagle, which has been featured on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782 and has its own holiday and protection act, was never technically assigned the title of “national bird.”
