WILDLIFE carers have spoken of their shock at discovering a rare bird of prey that had been mutilated and dumped at Sandy Hills, east of Tenterfield.
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Eva the Wedge-tailed Eagle was found with horrible injuries after being kept captive for a number of years.
The bird had the talons on all of her toes deliberately cut off, the hallux on one of her talons had also been cut back to the joint, she had infections, was under weight and in a generally poor condition.
Irene Horn from the not-for-profit Tenterfield Wildlife Carers group said she had received a tip off that the bird had been left in the area by an unknown owner.
“The lady who tipped me off said the bird was unable to fly and something seemed really wrong,” Ms Horn said.
It’s the 33rd bird Ms Horn has had to take into care in 12 months.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service said Ms Horn and Betty Balch of Stanthorpe were instrumental in rescuing the bird.
The NPWS said Eva is suspected of being illegally kept in captivity and potentially mistreated.
It's not clear how long she had been kept in captivity, but Rangers believe it must have been for a couple of years.
Dr Bob Doneley from the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus said he had never seen injuries like this in a bird before.
"She will eat out of your hand, she is well and truly used to being around people, she doesn't like people or trust people, but she will take food from your hand, which is behaviour I have never seen from a wild eagle before." He said.
Eva will spend another month in the care of Dr Doneley before being handed over to a raptor rehabilitator.
Dr Donnelly said the attack doesn't make him feel shocked, but angry.
"I think this is the act of a very selfish person, who has deliberately mutilated one of the most magnificent birds that I get to work with in an attempt to tame it as a pet and that doesn't shock me because I have seen people try and keep wildlife as pets before, but I'm very angry at what they have done to this bird.”
The outcome for a number of other birds recovered from the same area recently has not been as positive as Eva’s recovery.
Ms Horn recovered a lorikeet teenager with all flight feathers missing or cut that is still in her care.
She also discovered four rosellas with nails cut, wing feathers cut very short and very underweight that all subsequently died.
Dr Doneley said he believes Eva has an 80 per cent chance of a full recovery.
The NPWS is still after information on who kept the bird, if you can help give them a call on 6736 4298.
