Once critically endangered, bald eagles have staged a remarkable comeback–despite some lingering challenges–thanks to decades of conservation efforts. But for eagle parents, raising a new generation of raptors in the wild is still no easy task: newborn chicks are defenseless, and eaglets remain vulnerable to the elements essentially until it’s time to leave the nest around 8 to 12 weeks after hatching. Adverse weather and wind can also easily knock young inhabitants from their homes, often with fatal consequences. 

A pair of bald eaglets near Bonne Terre, Missouri, recently almost faced such an outcome. But thanks to a local man’s quick actions, the siblings are safe and sound—and much drier. According to an April 29 Facebook post from the World Bird Sanctuary (WBS), Ray Settle was making the rounds on his property to prepare for incoming storms when he spotted a large nest that had fallen into a nearby river. Settle noticed after moving closer that the downed home still contained two eaglet occupants. While alive and alert, the duo weren’t quite out of harm’s way yet—their nest was slowly sinking into the water with them in tow.

Settle contacted WBS in St. Louis, who soon dispatched workers to the scene to see what they could do. It became apparent that any potential rescue would require a boat in order to reach the eaglets. Settle once again came to the rescue by providing his own canoe to the team, who quickly rowed out to meet the young raptors. The pair were belly deep in the rapids by that point, while the nest continued to disintegrate around them. WBS workers estimated the eaglets only had about another hour before they would be completely submerged. And given their age, it was unclear if they possessed enough muscle development to swim to safety.

Scooping up the first eaglet proved relatively easy, but according to WBS, the other one “took a brief swim trying to evade rescuers.” Conservationists were finally able to nab the sibling before it was too late, and subsequently transported the two back to WBS for a full medical inspection.

“Thankfully, it seems that both eaglets managed to ride the nest down to a relatively gentle landing in the river and neither sustained any injuries,” WBS recounted in its Facebook post. Their nest didn’t survive the crisis, however, meaning the eaglets will remain at the sanctuary until they are old enough to return to the wild.

“[Settle’s] willingness to help is what saved these two eaglets,” the conservationists wrote.

With the two new additions, WBS says it has now received a total of 34 juvenile animals this year alone. WBS is also helping a bald eagle grow back parts of its beak after it was discovered with an apparent gunshot wound in July 2024. Caring for them costs money, of course, and they’re always grateful for donations—which conveniently can be sent through this website.

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