Jasper County Sergeant Corey Van Kooten assists in the rescue of an injured bald eagle. The bird is receiving treatment for its injuries at SOAR.
In Corey Van Kooten’s line of work as a sergeant with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, there are no two days the same regarding the duties that arise. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, the Jasper County Communications Center received a call from Deputy Coleman indicating a bald eagle – the national bird of the United States – was in distress and lying in the roadway. When Sergeant Van Kooten arrived on the scene, the bald eagle attempted to fly away but was unable to due to its injuries.
Sergeant Van Kooten is no stranger when it comes to bird recoveries, and he’s earned a reputation as “the bird guy.” Sergeant Van Kooten’s resume already includes the rescue of another bald eagle, two to three owls, and a great blue heron. With that experience under his belt, Sergeant Van Kooten was equipped with the knowledge of how to properly go about the rescue. The experts at Iowa Bird Rehabilitation out of Des Moines were brought in for assistance and together, Iowa Bird Rehabilitation staff, Sergeant Van Kooten, and Deputy Coleman safely captured the female bald eagle who was then transported to the SOAR (Saving Our Avian Resources) rehab facility for further evaluation and treatment.
At SOAR, the 11-pound female bald eagle was found to have internal bleeding but no fractures or elevated blood lead levels. SOAR staff assume the bald eagle was eating roadkill when it was hit by a car and sustained the injuries. SOAR is treating the bald eagle with Vitamin K to assist with clotting and will continue to monitor and treat the bald eagle as needed in the SOAR’s intensive care unit.
According to their website, soarraptors.com, SOAR provides care for well over 350-plus birds each year that have been injured or orphaned, primarily from western Iowa. SOAR is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 dedicated to saving avian resources and maintains all necessary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Iowa DNR permits to provide the rehabilitation and education.
News of the bald eagle rescue was posted on the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and also picked up by WHO TV 13 and the Des Moines Register news outlets. Updates about the Jasper County bald eagle can be found on Facebook at SOAR - Saving Our Avian Resources.
