PALM SHORES, Fla. – A tragically injured osprey, discovered the day after a rocket blast at a Blue Origin launch facility, is currently recuperating at the Florida Wildlife Hospital.
The unfortunate explosion occurred during a testing phase at Cape Canaveral last May. Hospital team members report that a biologist discovered the osprey at the launch site and swiftly transported it for immediate care.
Today, approximately two months later, the osprey remains reliant on hand-feedings, receiving fish from caretakers three times daily as part of its recovery process.
Veterinary examinations revealed significant damage, with singed feathers covering the bird’s head, neck, and wings. One of its feet sustained a deep injury extending to the bone.
“Perhaps the bird was caught at the edge of the blast, although similar injuries are common among animals suffering from electrocution,” explained Dr. April Geer, the staff veterinarian. “The exact cause remains uncertain.”
Geer and her team have treated the osprey with bandage changes, medication and laser therapy. They also removed damaged feathers from one wing so new ones could grow.
The wound is now about 90% healed, according to Geer, but the osprey cannot be released until its feathers grow back and it can fly safely again.
There may never be a way to determine exactly what caused the injuries. However, the timing and location of the bird’s discovery are renewing concerns among some Brevard County residents about the growing number of launches on the Space Coast.
“I always think about that every time a launch goes up, because it is a very wild area out there – a beautiful wild area where a lot of animals live, a lot of threatened species and endangered species,” Florida Wildlife Hospital Executive Director Tracy Frampton said. “So it does worry me.”
Mark Nathan has spent years participating in local conservation projects, including bird counts. He said he supports the space program but worries about the environmental effects of launches happening several times a week.
“I don’t think it’s good for us, the wildlife, plant life or anything,” Nathan said. “I’m concerned about the fallout – what’s coming out of those engines.”
Nathan is not claiming the explosion caused the osprey’s injuries. He said people living alongside the growing space industry should have a voice in how far it expands.
“We didn’t sign up for this,” Nathan said. “We’ve been living here most of our lives, and now all of a sudden, it just kind of was put on us.”
Florida Wildlife Hospital staff expect the osprey to recover and eventually fly again.
But as more rockets lift off from the Space Coast, questions remain about how to balance the space industry with the wildlife living beneath it.
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