Edgar the eagle rescued from captivity in Malawi

Edgar at the rescue centre © Lilongwe Wildlife Centre

Following reports of a large bird tied up with a rope, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust has carried out a dramatic rescue mission in central Malawi, in southeast Africa.  

Supported by Born Free for over 17 years, the Trust is Malawi’s leading wildlife charity. Devoted to wild animal care and conservation, they help tackle the illegal wildlife trade and support community outreach. Thanks to their swift action and expertise, Edgar the magnificent brown snake eagle with a beautiful fluffy head, is now safe in their care and recovering from his ordeal.

In 2007, Born Free helped create Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi’s capital city, converting a former zoo into a sanctuary for injured, orphaned and confiscated animals. Then in 2014, we helped the Trust develop their ‘WERU’ Wildlife Emergency Response Unit, providing a vehicle to give fast response vet support and in-situ treatment for wild animals in distress. The Unit works in conjunction with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife and their Veterinary Department.

This August, the Trust received a call to their Wildlife Emergency Hotline about a large bird spotted in Salima, a town two hours away from the capital city. Someone had seen him being held by children, who had tied a rope around his leg and were keeping him as a pet. WERU managed to collect the bird, driving over 60 miles with a large crate to bring him to Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, where he was identified as a brown snake eagle – a large bird of prey.

Their veterinary team managed to remove the rope and conducted a thorough assessment. Fortunately, the eagle had no serious injuries, only a small wound on one of his wings. He was also very thin and clearly tired from all he had endured, indicating he had been captive for some time, without adequate food.

The bird, named Edgar by the Trust’s team, was kept in a quarantine enclosure for a short period of time. These enclosures are smaller, which enable the team to keep a closer eye on newly-arrived animals to make sure they are coping well in their first few days. Once they were confident he had settled in, they moved Edgar to a larger, pre-release aviary to test his flight skills.

He managed to successfully fly up onto several perches and around the aviary, which was very positive. The team will keep Edgar for a few weeks so he can gain a little more weight and strength, before releasing him into a protected area close to where he was initially found.

Thank you for helping Born Free to help our Lilongwe Wildlife Trust friends to care for Edgar, on his journey back to the wild, where he belongs. Together, we make a great team!

LILONGWE WILDLIFE TRUST RECEIVES AWARD