SURRY, Va. – A bald eagle was returned to the wild Wednesday after being rehabilitated.
On October 2, two adult bald eagles were spotted on the ground in Portsmouth with their talons locked together, According to the Wildlife Center of Virginia that means the birds were likely engaged in a territorial dispute.
A Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officer responded and one eagle flew off while the second was captured.
Photo: wildlifecenter.org
The eagle was taken to Nature’s Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation where the eagle was stabilized before being transferred to the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro.
The Wildlife Center’s veterinary staff found that the eagle had chest and shoulder lacerations and abrasions near the eyes and legs; radiographs also showed signs of internal trauma.
The vet team cleaned the wounds on the shoulder, head, and legs, and sutured the laceration on the chest. The eagle received pain medication and antibiotics.
Read more specifics on the bird’s treatment here.
The eagle recovered from its injuries and spent a few weeks in the Center’s outdoor pens – building up strength and stamina before being deemed ready for release.
This eagle is the latest in a series of eagles that has been outfitted with a transmitter so its travels can be tracked.
