A female bald eagle that had spent three years in a Washington state wildlife shelter after being shot from the sky, was returned to the wilderness Saturday morning and soared freely away amid cheers and applause.
It's an uplifting story, but one with an uncertain outcome. The eagle had been shot in the face and suffered a broken neck when she fell. She spent a difficult period in captivity and had grown accustomed to being cared for.
Also, because of the shooting, she has permanently lost her voice, and it's not known exactly how important communication is in terms of survival.
"Happy that she's going to be free, sad because I'm going to miss her," a volunteer at the West Sound Wildlife Shelter told KOMO News.
The adult bald eagle was released on Bainbridge Island after being fitted with a transmitter. Staff members at the shelter hope she'll return to her former home in nearby Blakely Harbor.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo courtesy of KOMO News
Twitter: @Pete_Thomas
This is really great news. Since this is a rescued eagle, if she is not successful in the wild, whether due to the absence of voice or not, will the shelter try to help her or get her back to keep?
I know conservation agencies don't like to interfere with nature, but since she was a victim of an act of man, I was just curious if she would be treated differently.
I love your blog, btw.
Posted by: MP | Apr 21, 2011 at 05:30 PM