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Efforts to save injured eagle come up short

A community effort to save an injured bald eagle unfortunately was unsuccessful last week, but it doesn't mean a lot of people didn't try.

For three years, Shawn Pilkington and his family of Eldorado have enjoyed watching a pair of bald eagles that have made their home on private property near the golf course.

"We got permission from the land owner to come and watch them," said Pilkington, who works at the Egyptian Health Department. "He probably didn't realize we would be there so much."

Pilkington said the pair had a set of babies last year. "We got to watch them grow and learn to fly," he said. "We were wondering is they would come back."

The pair of eagles did return this year and have hatched another pair of babies.

However, things took a bad turn on Tuesday. Pilkington was readying to clock out at work when his co-worker, Juanita Fricks, got a frantic phone call from her son, Jordan, just graduated from Eldorado High School.

Jordan said there was an eagle in their driveway that appeared to be injured.

"He was Facetiming with her," said Pilkington. "We could see it was badly injured."

Pilkington's wife, Kimberly, called the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge and got the personal phone number of one of their officers, Chris Johnson.

Johnson told the Pilkingtons to put the bird in a box and take it to Free Again in Carterville.

Bev Shofseall has operated Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation for 31 years. Like most wildlife rehab facilities, it is run entirely with volunteers and relies on donations to sustain its operations.

Pilkington got the male eagle loaded in his wife's car, with his 15-year-old daughter, Kyla, sitting in the back seat with it, trying to keep it calm.

On Thursday morning, Shofseall said the eagle was still not standing on its own. "It does have feeling in its feet," she said, "but it's just lying in the cage."

She suspects its back was broken and assumes it was hit by a car. She administered steroids for inflammation as well as medicine to relieve pain.

"It's a serious injury," said Shofseall. "Not all recover, but we are cautiously optimistic."

Unfortunately, the young male eagle succumbed to its injuries Saturday evening.

Pilkington and his family will try to provide food to help the eagle's mate feed the babies, still in the nest.

With "baby season" in full swing, Shofseall said Free Again can always use help, volunteers and donations for 450 or so animals taken in each year.

For information, visit the Facebook page, the website at www.freeagaininc.org, or call (618) 988-1067.

Shawn Pilkington and his daughter, Kyla, prepare to transport an injured bald eagle to a local wildlife rehab facility. Courtesy of Shawn Pilkington