Bald eagles typically have a lifespan of between 15 or 20 years, but when a Maine Game Warden rescued this bald eagle, everyone was amazed at how old it was.

Maine Game Warden Joe McBrine is shown here with an eagle he rescued with the help of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officer Amanda Hardaswick. The eagle had an injured wing so he was easily captured.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
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After closer inspection, they noticed a band on the eagle's leg. It looked like it had been there for some time as it was dirty and worn, but they cleaned and checked the number in a database.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
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It turns out this particular eagle was banded as a hatchling in 1983 when bald eagles were still an endangered species and efforts were underway to grow the population. The 34-year-old eagle is now the oldest bald eagle ever documented in Maine. Today, the population is flourishing and is no longer endangered with over 900 pairs of nesting eagles in Maine compared to the just 30 pairs in the early 70s.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
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The eagle was taken to Avian Haven in Freedom, Maine where it is in the care of Diane Wing. We can't make that one up. Diane Wing is helping heal the eagle's wing. Perfect.

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