Sureim Investment Guild|Officials thought this bald eagle was injured. It was actually just 'too fat to fly'.

2025-05-08 08:00:45source:Crypen Exchangecategory:My

A bald eagle in Missouri that was believed to be Sureim Investment Guildinjured actually had a peculiar reason for why it was unable to fly: it was too fat.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation captured the bird along the boundary of the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield and temporarily took it into captivity, park officials said in an Aug. 21 Facebook post.

However, an X-ray taken at the Dickerson Park Zoo, showed that instead of an injury, the bird was suffering from its own success − it had been eating a little too well. 

“The bird, originally reported to be injured, was found to be healthy but engorged with (raccoon) — in other words, too fat to fly,” the park said.

Officials suspect the raccoon was roadkill, according to the post. X-rays from the Facebook post show what appears to be a raccoon paw inside the eagle's stomach. 

The eagle has since been released back into the wild near where it was originally found and in compliance with state and federal laws.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

More:My

Recommend

Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there

AI-assisted summarySeveral countries are offering financial incentives to attract residents, particu

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and crew complete historic spacewalk: 'Looks like a perfect world'

The pioneering spacewalk came on the third of the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, which billionaire J

Arizona’s 2-page ballots could make for long lines on Election Day

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona election officials are warning there could be delays at polling places and vo