Cataract Surgery Saves Golden Eagle

Eagles are known for their incredible eyesight, which is on average eight to ten times better than man's. They can spot a field mouse from thousands of feet above and swoop down to catch their prey at speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Needless to say, vision plays an even larger role in the eagle's life than it does in our own. When a golden eagle named Electra developed cataracts after flying into electric lines, she went completely blind. Her caretakers at Wings Over Mull bird sanctuary feared the worst.

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye. Most humans develop them eventually with age. Age-related cataracts tend to start out small and grow slowly. Cataracts can also be caused by trauma, as in Electra's case.

When cataracts impair vision, they can be surgically removed. In people, it is a safe, routine surgery using local anesthetic. Birds, however, must be under general anesthesia. General anesthesia is always a last resort when treating birds because it often causes them to go into shock and die.

Electra was taken to the University of Glasgow where veterinary ophthalmologist George Peplinski performed successful cataract surgery on her right eye. He did not operate on her left eye because it had suffered retinal damage as well, and he felt that extending her time under anesthesia was not worth the risk.

Although her vision was not completely restored and she cannot survive in the wild, Electra can see again and will live at the sanctuary with a male companion.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist near you.