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Bald eagle with burned head to undergo skin graft

Posted at 5:58 PM, Jul 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-18 20:47:14-04

A plastic surgeon has an idea about how to help a bald eagle with an injury that has been baffling experts for weeks.

The injury, determined to be some sort of electrical burn that had scabbed over, was examined recently by local plastic surgeon Dr. Colleen Stice, according to an Instagram post today from Fontenelle Forest. The eagle, first posted about by 3 News Now on June 23, was missing feathers and had a seemingly porous black area on the top of its head.

Stice removed the black area and found a thin layer of skin underneath it, which his caretakers re-bandage every day, according to the post.

Experts are cautiously optimistic about the eagle's recovery, but believe that without feathers on his head, the bird would likely sunburn, the posts states. So they are planning to attempt a skin graft in a couple weeks, according to the post.

The eagle was taken to Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Sunday and remains under the care of veterinarians and staff there.