SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — Community members are asking the public to be on the lookout for a beloved bald eagle after it swallowed a fish hook at Oquirrh Lake.
The eagle was spotted by a Daybreak resident who had come to take video Friday morning.
"He looked healthy, I got some awesome footage," says Mary Evans. "When I started to edit, I zoomed in and that's when I realized that there was a problem... that he had a fishing line attached to him."
It is believed that it accidentally swallowed the fishing line when it swooped down to eat fish that may have been caught on it. At time of reporting, the eagle remains out and about, but residents worry that if it isn't treated soon, the hook and fishing line could kill it.
"It's going to be very important to get [the eagle] into a licensed facility," says DaLyn Marathaler, director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. "We don't know how far that hook has gone down, and if you just try to yank it out, you don't know what you're cutting up inside his belly... or his trachea."
If you happen to spot the eagle, looking weak, you're asked to contact a local wildlife rehab center, or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The Salt Lake City office can be reached at 801-538-4700.
