RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A golden eagle struck by two vehicles near Rapid City is being taken to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service veterinarian in Pierre for further examination.

The nearly 8-pound bird survived being struck on Tuesday afternoon on state Highway 79. A truck driver took the bird to a Highway Patrol office. Officials with the Black Hills Raptor Center and the National American University Animal Health Center examined the eagle and determined it had bruises, a broken beak, and possible head and internal injuries.

Raptor Center co-founder John Halverson tells the Rapid City Journal that the eagle will be given six months to recuperate. After that, federal officials will determine whether it should be released back into the wild, euthanized or given to an educational organization like the Raptor Center.

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