The bird, a female golden eagle named Electra, had flown into power lines on the island of Mull. She was badly burnt, and staff from the Wings Over Mull bird sanctuary were nursing her back to health when they discovered that the accident had caused cataracts in both eyes and she was completely blind. As she could not return to the wild, and would have little quality of life, Electra faced being put down.

Electra undergoing xray and examination under anaesthesia before surgery		TV presenter Tom Heap holding Electra one month after surgery
One month after surgery. No cataract in the left eye, but still one in the right		Electra now lives in an outside enclosure at the sanctuary

 

Veterinary eye specialists at Glasgow decided to attempt to remove the cataract in one eye to restore some sight, although a complete recovery was not possible as the other eye had suffered retinal damage. Such an operation is very dangerous to birds, as they can suffer heart attacks from the shock of the general anaesthetic. George Peplinski, veterinary ophthalmologist at the Small Animal Hospital, said: “We worked on the eye that we know is the healthiest and we are best just leaving it there and not risking a prolonged anaesthetic and a prolonged recovery.”

 

However, Electra came through the process with some restored sight, and now lives permanently at Wings Over Mull.