Bald Eagle Gives Hero Vet Who Saved Her A Goodbye Love Nip Before Flying Free

Dr. Cliff Redford, DVM, or Dr. Cliff as he’s better known, is a patient and family favorite in Ontario, Canada. He owns Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Markham, but his work with animals doesn’t stop there. Animal advocacy and rescue missions have taken him to India, Egypt, Jamaica, and Ukraine.

Closer to home, Dr. Cliff also provides medical care to the wildlife of Ontario and to one Bald Eagle; he’s a hero. And that’s something special because, as apex predators, eagles aren’t keen on humans. That meant every time Dr. Cliff had to provide care for her broken wing; he had to watch his fingers as this noble bird remained every bit the wild spirit even when down and out.

Though he stayed clear through treatment, Wolf got Dr. Cliff one good time before she took to the sky again. And like any good animal caregiver, Dr. Cliff laughed as he waved goodbye.

Bald Eagle Downed By Accident

Wolf, the Bald Eagle, came into the Wellington Veterinary Hospital with Cathy of Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge after hunters brought her to the rehab facility in Ontario.

“Some duck hunters accidentally shot it when it flew after the ducks they were aiming for,” Dr. Cliff explained. “The eagle crashed into the ground and broke its humerus bone.”

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The same hunters who shot her were the ones who brought her in for help. And without their concern, Wolf would have certainly been doomed. X-rays showed not only the broken bone but also a separation of the flight muscles. She needed surgery, and Dr. Cliff was confident he could correct the break with pins. The surgery proved successful, but tugging the strong flight muscles into line was tough, especially when anesthesia was proving to be an issue.

“The tube is falling out. You can only slide that anesthetic tube in just a little bit in birds, very different from cats and dogs where you can put it way far down the trachea,” said Dr. Cliff. “The big issue is this thing keeps wanting to wake up, and it actually did wake up very briefly when we were plucking the feathers.”

But with Cathy helping, everyone managed to make it through without getting bit by the testy bird on the table.

Six Weeks Rehabbing An Apex Predator

While anyone would be a little testy with a broken wing, Wolf proved to be “not a compliant patient at all,” biting at anyone who dared come near. But as Dr. Cliff said, “That’s a good sign.”

Three weeks into her recovery, Dr. Cliff removed the pins from Wolf’s wing, and she continued to grow stronger.

After just a few more weeks of recuperation time and wing strengthening, the time came for test flights.

The tests proved Wolf’s wing was healed, and she was ready to return to the sky, with Dr. Cliff sharing in a Dodo video, “It was a cold, wintery day, and we took her out onto the frozen Niagara River. Right before letting her loose, I decided to give one last little exam on her.”

And as Dr. Cliff gave her one last lookover, wild Wolf delivered a bite to the doc’s hand as her special way of saying goodbye. Dr. Cliff laughed it off, and Cathy joked Wolf remembered just who Dr. Cliff was! But that nip was a good signal that Wolf had retained her wild spirit and was ready to fly free again.

“With a few flaps, she was up in the high blue yonder, soaring around, and there was almost a tear to my eye. It was a pretty magical moment. I’ll never forget her.”