A pair of baby eaglets were euthanized after being swept from their nest in Gulf State Park in southern Alabama during a severe storm earlier this year.

The Auburn University Raptor Center announced the eagles' deaths in a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 14.

"Despite extensive medical intervention, both eaglets were humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injuries they sustained before rescue," the center said. "Although the AURC is dedicated to rehabilitating injured raptors and returning them to the wild, the nature and extent of these injuries meant the birds would not have been able to survive independently in their natural environment."

The birds were admitted to the center on March 17, and they underwent surgery to repair wing fractures and other major injuries. One of the birds suffered tissue damage and infection caused by a fishing lure embedded in its foot, the center said. Meanwhile, the other sustained significant eye trauma.

Following the surgery, the team monitored the eaglets' healing and evaluated their prognosis, the statement said, including the birds' ability to regain essential functions needed for long-term survival. But the organization found that the chicks' quality of life in human care would also have been significantly compromised.

"While this outcome is never what we hope for, euthanasia can be the most compassionate decision when an animal’s injuries prevent it from living a life free of chronic pain, stress, or severe limitations," the raptor center said.

"Cases like this are among the most difficult aspects of veterinary medicine and wildlife rehabilitation. Although we were unable to return these eaglets to the wild, their story reminds us of the challenges wildlife face and the responsibility we share in protecting them and their habitats," the center added.

This story was updated to fix a misspelling.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bald eaglets euthanized after being swept from nest in Alabama