When Dandon Miller, from Pennsylvania, decided to go out to enjoy a ride on his motorcycle, little did he know that he would end up saving the life of a national icon.
Though in a sense, it was fitting considering that it happened on Memorial Day weekend, a day meant to honor the sacrifices of those who fought and died for the country.
As reported by The Dodo, as Miller cruised down the interstate, he soon encountered a problem. Traffic was starting to build up and all the vehicles were slowing down. And he soon spotted the reason why.
“I looked down to see why everyone was stopping and there was a bald eagle in the middle of the road,” Miller said.
“Another person was there and they kind of nudged her a little bit to see if she would walk off the road or fly away. She spread her wings open and was not going to go anywhere.”
Being on a motorcycle, Miller knew that it would be easy for him to weave through the traffic and be on his way. But he couldn’t leave the injured bird behind.
However, he knew how much damage the eagle’s talons could do so he took off his shirt and wrapped it around the bird before he picked it up.
Miller said, “I called 911, and they called the state troopers, and they called Tri-State [Bird Rescue & Research, Inc.] (the people that are taking care of the eagle now). I held the eagle for about 45 minutes.”
And at 15 pounds, the bird wasn’t exactly a breeze to carry for that long.
“She was extremely calm,” Miller recalled. “For some reason, I wasn’t.”
But that’s because he knew how much damage the bird could do if it started fighting back. But fortunately, that didn’t happen.
Lancaster Online reported that Tri-state eventually got hold of the bird and performed minor surgery. The eagle seems well on its way to recovery.
“She had a mild injury to one eye and soft tissue injuries, but no broken bones,” Tri-State employee Rebecca Stansell said. “Her wounds were treated by our wildlife veterinarian while the eagle was under anesthesia.”
She added that a full recovery is expected. Tri-State also wrote on its Facebook page that this wasn’t the first time they admitted a bald eagle.
“This is the 45th bald eagle that has been admitted to our clinic so far this year,” it stated. “Many thanks to all the people who helped with the rescue of this majestic eagle!”
For his part, Miller is just glad that he was able to help, saying, “It was just amazing to hold that bird and for her to be calm like that. Just amazing.”
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