MANSFIELD – “Little Liberty” now has a fighting chance to survive, thanks to a Licking County wildlife officer and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary.
It’s fitting her rescue and revival came on the 250th birthday of the United States, a country that chose the American bald eagle for its national emblem six years after the Declaration of Independence.
The fledgling eagle, named “Little Liberty,” had fallen from her nest and had been on the ground for about a week in the hot sun. She came into the Orewiler Road sanctuary weak and emaciated.
It was sheer chance OBS was open to take the tiny bird without delay.
“We’re typically closed on holidays, including the Fourth of July,” said Amanda Vanderford, the curator of animals at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. “We decided to stay open (because) we had an event sponsored by Meijer to celebrate America 250 with our guests.
“It was a cool and unique day already, and then we get a call from the Licking County wildlife officer.”
ODNR Officer Antoinette Freet had received a call from a landowner about an out-of-shape bird on the ground. She was 25 minutes away from the sighting, rushing to the scene.
“I went straight there, picked it up, and from there drove straight to Richland County, which was about an hour-and-a-half,” Freet said. “Especially with the heat we’ve had, it only takes a little while to turn for the worse.”
Heat stroke was the initial conclusion, given Little Liberty’s weakness and visible daze. But the staff of the sanctuary in Springfield Township didn’t want to rule out anything prematurely.
“Immediately, we’re like, ‘OK, it could be a number of things,” Vanderford said. “Roughly 75% of the bald eagles we see come through our hospital have some form of lead toxicity … We’re thinking, ‘It could be that, it could be another toxin, it could be bird flu.’
“It could be anything, but we knew it wasn’t good.”
Holding the small bird gave Vanderford a good clue.
“When we picked her up, she felt literally light as a feather,” Vanderford said. “Healthy eagles, when they’re fully grown, range from eight to 13 pounds, depending on the sex or if they’re a little chunky. They’re a decent-sized bird.”
The veterinarians examined Little Liberty further, confirming her emaciation. She is one of the skinniest eagles to come to OBS.
“I looked at (Freet) and told her, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to be able to save her because she’s so skinny,'” Vanderford said. “We started really worrying about organ function. That’s not something we can really reverse.”
There still could be something underlying with Little Liberty. The sanctuary continues to run tests, hoping to find evidence she’ll be able to live a long, healthy life. Lead poisoning has been ruled out, but it’s hard to tell after a week on the ground with minimal food.
Vanderford and the sanctuary didn’t miss the over-the-head irony of the situation. Little Liberty’s bandaged wing is red, white and blue for that reason.
“What’s more American?” Vanderford said. “Her wing is bandaged solely to hold her IV catheter in place, and while we were running extra tests, a staff member decided to add on some extra to give her an appropriate American flag.
“Anytime there’s a chance to lighten the mood … it does good for our mental health and compassion fatigue.”
The Ohio Bird Sanctuary admits more than 500 birds of prey and songbirds per year into its avian hospital. It’s no wonder that fatigue sets in with that many cases. Each bird, taken in from all over Ohio, receives its own unique treatment plan.
Despite the ironic timing, Little Liberty is part of a concerning growth in eagle admissions. The sanctuary hit a record 17 eagle admissions, with an average of five to six in the year prior. Little Liberty is the ninth of 2026.
As of Thursday, Little Liberty makes to make progress, with strong hope of a full recovery, according to the OBS.
