“Holding the bird and seeing her so peaceful was just incredible.”
A red and black flannel is Dandon Miller’s favorite item of apparel. He’s owned the shirt for eight years and wears it all the time, but he never imagined it would be used to save a life.
Miller was driving home from Philadelphia on Memorial Day weekend when traffic halted in front of him. Miller parked his motorcycle on the side of the two-way highway and was taken aback when he understood what was creating the gridlock.
Miller told The Dodo, “I looked down to see why everyone was stopping and there was a bald eagle in the center of the road.” “There was another person there, and they shoved her a little to see whether she’d go off the road or flee.” She extended her wings wide and declared that she was not going anywhere.”
Miller, an animal enthusiast, realized he had to assist the injured bird in getting out of harm’s path.
The enormous animal was too damaged to fly, but her mighty talons prompted Miller to remove his favorite flannel and drape it over her. The eagle stayed calm while he wrapped her in the garment, to to Miller’s amazement.
“She was really peaceful when I took her up,” Miller added. “When people started taking photographs, she became a bit stirred up, but we were able to calm her down.”
Miller phoned 911 after moving the eagle off the road and finally contacted Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, a local wild bird rehabilitation agency. While waiting for rescue personnel, Miller held the 15-pound bird for almost 45 minutes. However, the time seemed to fly by.
“When I was holding her, I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Miller explained. “I was simply trying to keep her quiet and reassure her that she was safe, and that I wasn’t going to drop her.”
Miller continued, “It was really fantastic to handle the bird and for her to be that serene.” “It’s incredible.”
The rescue believes that after a few days of therapy, the bald eagle will be ready to be released back into the wild.
Rebecca Stansell of Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research told The Dodo, “She suffered a little damage to one eye and soft tissue injuries, but no broken bones.” “Our wildlife veterinarian attended to her wounds while the eagle was sedated. Although anything might happen, we are certain that she will make a full recovery.”
Miller’s favorite flannel, on the other hand, has seen better days.
Miller understands the shirt now has a few giant talon holes in it, but he knows it was for the best cause — and he will absolutely wear it again.