The plight of a beautiful bald eagle is the talk of the town in Clarenville, where residents are hoping the bird can be released from a trap attached to a claw.

Those who have seen the majestic bird, which has been hanging around the town dump, say some kind of trap is closed shut on a talon.

Concern in Clarenville about an eagle with a trap caught on one of its claws 5:46

Harry White, an amateur photographer, has been snapping photos of the eagle hoping to get help for the entangled bird.

Harry White said the trap looks like a spring type, that would be used to trap mink. (Harry White/Facebook)

"Just above where the trap is attached to the claw it looks like the flesh is torn," said White.

"You can see the trap that's actually attached to his centre claw and it's pretty well right where the talon goes into the claw."

He's compared photos taken around two weeks ago to his photos from Sunday, and said the eagle's beak looks damaged from trying to pry the trap from its claw.

Linda Ryan captured this shot of the eagle with the trap on its claw on Jan. 11. (Linda Ryan/Facebook)

White said the trap isn't very large and looks like one that would be set to catch mink.

"It's one of those spring-type traps that you force open, and once you press on the centre, it pops closed," he said.

He believes that the eagle may have gotten more than he bargained for when he tried to eat whatever was caught in the trap.

The bird can still fly, but White said there is a piece of wire hanging around three feet from the trap.

He worries that if nothing is done, the trap will affect the bird's health and its ability to hunt.

On the lookout

Wildlife officials have been contacted and a Clarenville conservation officer has been searching for the eagle. However, they have not had any luck locating the bird.

White has been doing his part by making extra visits to the dump.

Although he's not quite sure what can be done to help, he knows officers would have to keep their distance from the powerful bird of prey and set up some sort of bait trap to try and net it.