NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Things took a dark turn in the beloved bald eagle nest in North Fort Myers as the lone eaglet of Harriet and M15 this season has passed away.
The eaglet known as E14 was reported on Tuesday to have an injury from an apparent fish hook. Wednesday morning, viewers of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam report that E14 appeared to have died. The cameras turned away from the nest as the parents were dealing with the situation.
E14 was born December 19th in the eagle cam nest. Its sibling egg was not viable.
E14 had been growing quickly and everything appeared to be going well as late as Tuesday morning. The eagle cam team reported that E14’s wingspan was nearly 2 feet wide and he/she weighs around 5-6 pounds with a beak and feet that are almost fully grown.
The hugely popular Southwest Florida Eagle Cam is located at a North Fort Myers nest and broadcasts 24 hours a day. It draws thousands of viewers every day from around the world.
Harriet has been coming to the nest site since 2006, first with mate Ozzie, and then with new mate M15 after Ozzie passed away in 2015. Harriet has successfully raised at least one eaglet every season since then.
UPDATE (1:15 PM) -- The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Sanibel says the remains of E14 have been removed from the nest and will be examined by veterinary staff.