VETERINARIANS are trained to treat almost every animal imaginable, but it’s not often a vet can go home at the end of a busy day and say they have worked with an injured wedge-tailed eagle.  Last week in Bathurst, Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital vet surgeon Dr James Hunter got the opportunity to do exactly that when WIRES carer Nicole Wiggins brought in a wedged-tailed eagle that had been caught in a fence at a Molong property.  “She caught the eagle and brought it to the clinic and we found signs of head trauma,” Dr Hunter said.  The eagle was also missing some of its feathers, which may not sound like much of an issue at first glance, but for this variety of bird it can become a life-threatening issue.  “Broken feathers in a wedge-tailed eagle is quite concerning because anything that can inhibit its hunting abilities can be life threatening,” Dr Hunter explained.  After being anaesthetised and examined by Dr Hunter, the eagle has returned to the care of Ms Wiggins for part of its recovery until it can be moved to a facility in the Blue Mountains.  When there, the eagle will undergo a special feather transplant, where feathers from a donor bird will be inserted into the wing through a process called imping.  Feathers need to be attached accurately as regards their angle of insertion and length. This will allow the bird to return to flying and hunting much faster.  “The feathers do actually regrow, but that takes over a year,” Dr Hunter said.