Young Secretary Bird Needs Help

The following story about a secretary bird was submitted by Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital in South Africa.

This young Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) was found in a house on the east rand only a few days ago. The SPCA Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa Johannesburg collected the bird and brought the young male to us.

He was found to be quite dehydrated and a bit underweight, but luckily with no serious injuries.

He was immediately placed on a drip, and blood work indicated that he had some muscle damage. Thankfully, there was nothing that could not be fixed with the right treatment and some TLC.

This male is quite stressed and is not particularly keen on eating. We are tube feeding him with EmerAid IC Carnivore until he is well enough to be released in a safe and protected environment.