A bald eagle in Missouri that was believed to be injured turned out to have another problem: overeating.
The raptor was captured by the Missouri Department of Conservation after someone spotted it at the edge of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield and reported it was injured, park officials say wrote on Facebook last week.
But instead of any injuries, x-rays showed the eagle was simply very full of food.
The eagle was “engulfed” in raccoon, the park said, adding that the bird was “in other words, too fat to fly.”
The post included an x-ray that shows a raccoon’s paw in the eagle’s stomach. According to the park, the raccoon was likely a roadkill before it became a meal.
The stuffed bird was rehabilitated before being released back into the wild.
The Missouri Department of Conservation also shared the newsnoting that the bird was “grounded” by “really good food.”
Many people on social media found the eagle’s predicament quite relatable.
Roadkill is a ‘common’ food source for bald eagles, according to the National Eagle Center in Minnesota. Although the large birds are predators that typically catch live prey, the nonprofit notes that they are also “opportunistic” and “won’t turn down a free meal.”