Injured bald eagle hobbles into traffic in desperate need of medical help

Bald eagles are the ultimate symbol of freedom, beauty and strength -- thus, it's borderline painful to see one of the glorious creatures get hurt.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened in Clearwater, Florida, on October 5, when an injured eagle ended up bringing traffic to a screeching halt.

The Clearwater Police Department shared a video on Facebook of the downed bird after it had hobbled into the middle of a busy road outside a mall.

The sad footage has already been viewed nearly 30,000 times.

The wounded party appeared to be having some mobility issues, as well as one very bloody foot.

Wildlife workers were called to the scene and, shortly thereafter, the bird was transported to Busch Gardens.

Once there, experts were able to identify the problem as a bone chip, which they surgically removed.

The eagle is now recovering at the theme park, and, once it is rehabilitated, will be returned to the place where it was found.

America: 1. Everyone else: 0.

More majestic photos of our national bird: