Photographer's Gritty Mission: Crawling Through Mud to Save a Trapped Eagle

In a heartwarming display of dedication, Polish wildlife photographer Krzysztof Chomicz was caught on drone footage crawling through thick mud to rescue a white-tailed eagle in distress. This marks his second such rescue, having saved another eagle from a similar situation the previous year.

Seeing a white-tailed eagle in the wild is a rare privilege for many, but Polish wildlife photographer Krzysztof Chomicz has witnessed these magnificent birds more than once, sometimes under unfortunate circumstances. Recently, Chomicz encountered a white-tailed eagle trapped and slowly sinking into thick, unforgiving mud. Without a second thought, he decided to save the bird.
This wasn’t his first rescue mission either. Just last year, Chomicz had to rescue another white-tailed eagle from a nearly identical muddy fate. This time, however, a drone captured the entire rescue operation on video. It was no easy task—crawling hundreds of feet through the mud is grueling enough, but to then return with a large and heavy eagle in tow is beyond exhausting. But in moments like this, what other choice does one have?

Once the eagle was safely pulled from the mud, it received much-needed care—a bath and some food. Local reports confirm that the eagle, affectionately named Icarus, was deemed healthy enough to be released back into the wild just a few days later.
White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) are the largest birds of prey in northern Europe. Though once driven to near extinction by pollution and habitat loss, conservation efforts have allowed their population to rebound. Today, there are estimated to be around 25,000 adult white-tailed eagles in Europe, a testament to the success of these efforts.
To rescue a stranded eagle even once is a remarkable feat. To do it twice is something else entirely. Watching the footage of Chomicz’s rescue, it's hard not to wonder: would any of us have done the same in his position?