They took him under their wing!
A bloody and injured bald eagle floating on ice in the Hudson River was rescued Wednesday by NYPD Harbor cops who swooped in with a pole to save him.
“It was squawking. We knew it was in distress,” Sgt. Mike Russo said at a press conference Wednesday. “We rescue anything and anybody.”
The boat cops were on patrol at around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, when they heard the massive majestic critter screeching in frigid temperatures near the George Washington Bridge, Russo said.
Police steered their vessel through chunks of ice towards the sitting duck bird and soon saw its face and wing covered in blood.
The officers then extended a catch pole to rescue the bird, wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in a pet carrier.
“It took all four of us,” Russo said. “We were concerned about its talons, whether it was going to attack us.”
All told, the rescue took about 30 minutes, thanks to the — literally — eagle-eyed cops.
The yet-to-be-named bird, which appeared to have a broken wing, was later brought to The Raptor Trust animal sanctuary in New Jersey.
Bald eagles have frequently been spotted in the Big Apple near the Hudson River in the winter, with populations making a significant comeback in recent years.