Osprey rescued from power line unable to overcome injuries in Arlington

ARLINGTON — An osprey rescued from a power line in Burien earlier this month has been euthanized.

The bird of prey had been transported to Arlington-based Sarvey Wildlife Care Center for treatment.

Organization staff members were unable to stabilize the bird's injured leg, and after consulting with veterinary staff, decided to put the bird to sleep two days after it had arrived Aug. 10.

"We get a lot of osprey, but this one was unusual because he was hanging from his leg," said Leslie Henry, clinic director at Sarvey. "Animals like that can't survive with one leg because they can get infection in their other foot."

According to KOMO News, Burien residents reported that the bird had been stuck in the power lines for a couple of hours before crews from Puget Sound Energy rescued the bird.

The report said that a nearby resident loaned crew members a cat carrier and welding gloves to rescue the bird.

Sarvey staff members initially took X-rays and stabilized the bird's injured leg before making the decision to euthanize it.

"We were looking for viability of the tissue in the leg," Henry said. "If the tissue had died, it wouldn't be viable to do surgery."

Sarvey, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, rescues and rehabilitates orphaned, injured and sick wild animals from the Puget Sound area.

KOMO captured video of the bird's rescue, which is available here.

Contact Arlington Times Reporter Adam Rudnick at arudnick@arlingtontimes.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5056.

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