Truck drivers spend long hours with their eyes on the horizon, meaning that many have not only spotted an American bald eagle soaring above, but have actually played a part in keeping these patriotic animals safe and free.
Sighting a bald eagle while out on the road is usually an awe-inspiring event, but unfortunately, there are many dangers the birds have to face, especially when they live and fly close to busy highways.
Many truckers have been called to action, saving eagles on America’s roadways, from collisions with vehicles, or making sure that they are released back out into the wild where they belong.
Thank you to the patriotic truckers below for protecting America’s symbol of freedom!
Brian Garst
Our driver Brian Garst rescued an Eagle today at mile 80 of the parks highway. We called troopers and they got us in…
Posted by Elite Towing & Recovery on Monday, April 12, 2021
Tow truck driver, Brian Garst, was driving along an Alaskan highway when he noticed a commotion taking place on the side of the road. He pulled off the highway and realized the drivers of a couple of trucks were looking at an eagle in the snow that wasn’t moving.
So this happened today. As I was driving home around greys creek I saw a guy pulled over and then saw what he was looking at. I pulled over and ended up calling the troopers while on the phone with them Brian from elite towing pulled over to check on things and realized what was happening. He called the boss and the state troopers asked him to help rescue the eagle whom I’ve named as Tucker. Brain took tucker to the troopers where he meet folks from the bird sanctuary in big lake to be in good hands. Thank you to the first person that stopped and thank you to Brian for stopping to check on everyone and then rescuing this magnificent feather friend.
Posted by Chris Mahoney on Monday, April 12, 2021
Garst trekked through the knee-deep snow, placed his coat over the eagle, then pick it up and carried it back to the safety of his tow truck. The bird appeared to be malnourished and injured.
“Brain took tucker to the troopers where he meet folks from the bird sanctuary in big lake to be in good hands. Thank you to the first person that stopped and thank you to Brian for stopping to check on everyone and then rescuing this magnificent feather friend,” said the caption of a Facebook post of an onlooker.
The eagle was taken to the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center in Houston before being placed at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage.
Kat Kennedy
Nebraska ranch-owner and truck driver, Kat Kennedy uses her 20,000-acre sixth-generation family ranch along with her knowledge about birds to operate a rescue for bald eagles.
Kennedy has between 15 and 20 breeding pairs of eagles on the ranch that she helps care for and rehabilitate after injuries.
Mario Giorbano
In another life-saving instance, a trucker spotted an injured male bald eagle found by the side of Route 17 in the Sullivan County town of Rockland, New York, and called 911.
Mario Giorbano, a truck driver for New Jersey dairy distributor Balford Farms, noticed the eagle in a ditch on the side of the highway, where it appeared to be stuck in the mud.
State troopers responded to the call, as did wildlife rehabilitators from New York and Pennsylvania, who were able to transport the bird to safety.
