If you encounter wildlife that may be injured or in distress, or if you are unsure, call the National Wildlife Centre’s Wildlife Hotline at (416) 577-4372.
At the National Wildlife Centre, care for wildlife continues long after surgery. For Dr. Tania Taieb, an international veterinarian from France training under Dr. Sherri Cox, one case involving a particularly feisty juvenile bald eagle stood out. Even at a young age, he looked every bit the predator – intimidating, alert, and ready to fight. The eagle had suffered a femoral fracture, and while the surgery was successful, his recovery depended on what came next.
Why isn’t his head white? At around 10 weeks old, he’s already close to full adult size, but bald eagles don’t develop their iconic white head and tail until about 4 to 5 years of age.
Each physical rehabilitation session required a team of three to keep the eagle safe and stable – one person monitoring his breathing, another securing his powerful talons, and a third carrying out the therapy on his injured leg. In this case, Dr. Tania took on the role of what is called physiotherapist in the human world, working to restore strength. Without this rehabilitation therapy, he would not have been able to survive in the wild and therefore would have been unreleasable. With each session, there was a visible improvement. Small gains at first, then more movement, more strength – each step bringing him closer to functioning as he should.
Once his therapy was complete, the eagle was successfully released back into the wild. But what stayed with Dr. Tania wasn’t just the outcome – it was the compassionate care. The steady, careful work behind each session, and the understanding that even when recovery is uncertain, the responsibility doesn’t change. As she noted, the focus is always on doing what’s best for the animal in front of you – managing pain, reducing stress, and making sure they are cared for properly, every step of the way.
