Humane Society supervisor Kathy KasaKaitas said the raptors are territorial and one had apparently invaded the other's air space. KasaKaitas and animal control officer Lucas Brennan became referees in the eagles' fight in an Onalaska neighborhood Tuesday. The eagles began scuffling in the air, then landed together on the ground.
KasaKaitas and Brennan had the dicey task of separating the birds' entangled talons without getting hurt themselves.
"They're strong," KasaKaitas said. "Their feet basically lock on. We were concerned that, if their talons grabbed one of our arms or legs, it would have caused a severe injury."
Unable to get a gloved hand between the birds, the two used a screwdriver to pry the claws apart.
"As we got one foot released, we wanted the eagle to hold on to something so it couldn't regrab while we worked on the other one," KasaKaitas said.
They coaxed one eagle into latching onto the screwdriver handle instead of slicing into his adversary — or them.
After the eagles calmed down, they were taken to the society's headquarters. One was given antibiotics for its injuries. The other, apparently the aggressor, appeared unscathed, KasaKaitas said.
Both birds were released Wednesday.
(Post Bulletin - April 25, 2014)
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