Old Crow Bald Eagle

nature preserve

by Lindsay Caskenette | Jun 12, 2024

1 minute read -

In the remote, fly-in community of Old Crow, on the Traditional Territories of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nations a juvenile bald eagle was found by Robert, at the dump, flightless and injured. The eagle was coaxed into a crate and eventually brought to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve after it made a stop in Dawson and caught a flight via Air North.

Old crow bald eagle upon arrival and admittance into the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at the Preserve. May 10th. Photo credit L.Caskenette

The bald eagle, thak tth'ak came to the Preserve's Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre on May 10th underweight (4.3kg) and with a OD (medical term for right eye) chronic corneal ulcer.

Likely a she, given the large size of the animal. She has gained sufficient weight, coming in at 4.83kg. She has been viewable in the aviary as she works to build up flight muscles. Now she is ready for her public release back to the wild this Friday. She has a cloudy eye but has been successful catching live food and as a predominantly scavenging animal she is likely to do quite alright back in the wild even with this limitation.

Old crow bald eagle in the flight pen aviary building up flight muscles getting ready for release. Photo credit B. Forsythe

She will not be returned to Old Crow due to the long travel and stress concerns related to transfer. Instead, she was released outside of Whitehorse on Friday June 14th at 7pm.

Around 40 people joined the event to send off the bird. Thank you to everyone who joined the release, it was a perfect evening. The sky welcomed us all without a drop of rain. Thank you to all who provided good vibes and sent off the eagle with strength and grace.

Thank you to Wylie, Corrine, and Thay K'i Anint'l for the prayer and blessing for this bird's return to the wild and resilience for a long eagle life.

Thank you to everyone who helped this Eagle along its path to recovery. To Robert K who found the bird and ensured it got a second chance at life. To Norma, to the team at the Preserve that helped with the bird release event. To Air North for giving the bird some helping wings South to the Rehabiliation Centre. Thank you, Masshi, Gunalchîsh

She took her time deciding to soar but this allowed everyone to share in more details of her story, to practice patience and to grow our appreciation of her and others' incredible story of resilience.

The Facebook Live Event - Watch Here

• • •

The beginning of June the Preserve welcomed a visitor who had, and later shared with us, an extraordinary experience with the eagle while it was recovering in the aviary.

She shared with us the following:

I felt a very special spirit from her. A very conscious and intelligent bird.

I heard she didn't have a name.

Horus came to mind for me because of her eyes and her mystical spirit.

"Horus, in ancient Egyptian religion, a god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing."

"Horus, in ancient Egyptian religion, a god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing." The old crow bald eagle was given and unofficial name by a visitor, Jasmine Colomby who also drew and shared this interpretation.

Help us get them back on their wings. We could use your help. If you are able to support the care of these two animals, please consider donating. Every contribution makes a difference and as a non-profit charitable organization, you can receive a charitable tax receipt for your support.

Donate Now

Photo credit: B.Forsythe

Britt Forsythe

Visitor Services Coordinator

Brittney joined the Wildlife preserve in the summer of 2023. Growing up on Northern Vancouver Island, surrounded by the temperate rainforest, nature and animals have always been a part of her life. It exploded into a passion, when she started her dog walking business in 2017 and she began spending 6-7 days a week in the forest, rain or shine! This sparked an even deeper appreciation for the cyclical nature of the land and how all of the plants & animals work together symbiotically. She is forever ‘that girl’ on the hike, pointing out different rocks and plants, explaining their origin or what they could be used for medicinally. Brittney and her dog Cedar relocated to the Yukon to help care for 31 sled dogs. She is so excited to expand her local knowledge as a part of the Preserve team.

867-456-7400

brittney@yukonwildlife.ca

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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Meet Elsa the Mountain Goat

24/04/12 | Animal Care, Community Contribution, Mountain Goat, Rehabilitation

nature preserve

by Lindsay Caskenette | Apr 12, 2024

1 minute read -

Meet Elsa, the mountain goat! She came from Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers B.C located within The Witset First Nation is a First Nations band government of the Wet'suwet'en people of Witset, British Columbia, Canada. She was brought there in June, 2023 at about 1 week old. She was brought to this wildlife shelter after she was swept down river - it's not sure, the details, how or why, but she was orphaned and injured at that point when she was found by rangers working on the land.

She had several cuts and lacerations, she lost a few baby teeth. She was taken care of incredibly well by the staff and volunteers at the Northern Lights Wildlife Society.

You can watch a few of these videos of her care and progress via their social media.

First Arrival - video

Elsa the queen of the North. Mountain goat rescue from BC wildlife Shelter. Elsa 1 week june 2023

By August, Elsa recovered fully from her injuries and complications that came after. Such challenges are bound to happen with wildlife, especially with an animal so young and under considerable stress and change.

Eating Well at the Wildlife Shelter - video

Elsa the mountain goat ice queen of the North 2 months old and recovered and eating well.

The little queen, Elsa continued to grow and by early winter she was ready for transport to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve for her long-term home. Since the goat was coming from another jurisdiction, in fact, one outside of the Yukon Territory, necessary coordination and import permits were required before her transport and arrival. With all the 'red tape' out of the way the Preserve now needed to consider how to get her to the Yukon, the quickest and safest way. Since the Wildlife Shelter is in Northern British Columbia, an Air North Transport was not an option, as it has been with other rehabilitation animals, though those animals were mostly headed South and back to the wild, not North and into long-term care.

Elsa, the mountain goat, just a few days before her big move to the big leagues which means to the big cliff in the background with the nannies.

Community connections started this journey for Elsa and it continued through her successful transportation by an incredible offering as described below by Rebecca Bradford-Andrew, Manager, First Nation Education Advocates for Yukon First Nation Education Directorate.

Wild orphaned Nanny goat Elsa from the remote mountains of Northen BC. transportation from her rescue facility to Whitehorse was provided by teenagers, a team of young wildlife enthusiasts from the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate (YFNED) ( a Jordan's Principle-funded Initiative).

These local teens work to build community and culture by supporting indigenous students in Yukon schools. They strive to be role models for youth by doing good deeds and stepping in where needed. Thank you Dr.Hallock and your team for including us in this wonderful opportunity to collaborate for our community!

The YFNED, an indigenous-led educational organization, supports traditional, land-based learning opportunities.

The YWP has been educating people for years, and Yukon students have much to learn about eco-systems, evolution, and herd dynamics, with a strong, healthy mountain goat population their textbooks, and the beautiful cliffs of the YWP their classroom.

Edone daga eti’e (For the good of the child).

Elsa arrived December 12, 2023 to the Wildlife Rehabiliation Centre where for the next 30 days would be in quarantine. This is a mandatory isolation while testing occurred and medication was administered by Preserve's Animal Care team to ensure her eventual integration to the collection of goats would not pose any risks. Of course, the ice queen of the North, passed with flying crystals . . . er., colours!

Elsa about one month old at the Northern Lights Wildlife Society wildlife shelter.

In mid January Elsa was brought to her temporary, small rocky mountain habitat as she got bigger, before joining the big leagues, on the big mountain cliff at the Preserve. She was a delight and distraction for staff at the office where she would be spotted through windows being a goat - bounding around, climbing the rocks and being unbelievably cute!

Social media link to the posting by NLWS about Elsa's arrival.

April 9th, 2024 Elsa joined the group of mountain goats at the Preserve and can be spotted living her best goat life thanks to people, community, collaboration and their great care of iconic North American wildlife in need of second chances.

Elsa the mountain goat with the nanny group.

Elsa, the mountain goat lives at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve which is the Traditional Territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

Elsa the mountain goat introduced to the nanny group. B.Forsythe

The 2 above photos were taken April 30, 2025 of Miss Elsa being a goat!

Photo credits: Northern Lights Wildlife Society, YFNED - Yukon First Nations Education Directorate, L.Caskenette, B.Forsythe.