Dr. Carl Palazzolo has been a wildlife veterinarian for more than 47 years, rehabilitating bald eagles. Also known as a wildlife photographer, he is the author of “The Comeback of our National Symbol in Michigan.” Palazzolo talks about his work with eagles and about his upcoming presentations at the Richland Area Community Center and the Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Palazzolo’s interest in eagles began through photography. “I spent umpteen hours from 5 o’clock in the morning until the sun went down, made a lot of mosquito friends during that time, and I actually took thousands upon thousands of photos interacting at their nest and their parents bringing in fish from Lake Michigan to their nest … it was a huge effort. It was seven years of photography … and it was so much fun.”
From there, with his collection of photos and his growing knowledge about eagles, Palazzolo wrote his book. He wanted to make clear several points—to celebrate the comeback of the bald eagle on the nation’s 250th anniversary; to point out the continued threats to the eagle population making the comeback precarious; and to celebrate the vital work done by rehabilitators who often devote a great deal of time to save the eagles.
“We lost 2,500 eagles to the Avian flu,” Palazzolo says. “And that’s still ongoing … we can’t control the virus, we can’t control the weather, but there are two things we can control. The number one cause of death in eagles in the state of Michigan is being hit by a car.”
In Palazzolo’s presentation, audiences will see photos of bald eagles and learn about their biology and rehabilitation efforts as the eagles are cared for medically and surgically. A live bald eagle will be present. Palazzolo’s latest book “The Comeback of our National Symbol in Michigan,” will be available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be given to the raptor rehabilitators in Michigan.
Palazzolo will be giving presentations at the Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD in Richland, at 5 p.m. on August 13 and at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N Westnedge Ave. in Kalamazoo, at 6 p.m. on August 14.
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