Bald eagle which recovered at Auburn University Raptor Center released into the wild
AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WAKA) – A bald eagle which was found injured in Prattville has now been released back into the wild following a lengthy recovery at the Auburn University Raptor Center.
Eddie Tucker of Prattville says he saw the bald eagle limping around on New Year’s Eve, so he and a friend caught it so they could get the bird medical help.
‘We saw it hopping around and we knew the bird was injured, it was just sitting on the side of the road, and we were afraid it was going to get hit,” Tucker said. “It was helpless, and so I figured why not help it? It’s our nation’s bird, so we figured it was the right thing to do.”
The bald eagle had been hit by shotgun pellets. It spent 230 days in recovery until today, when it returned to the wild.
Robyn Miller, PhD with the Auburn University Raptor Center says they are incredibly grateful for people just like Tucker who look out for wildlife.
“This patient was admitted due to a gunshot wound. We found shotgun pellets were embedded in the wing,” Miller said. “It’s been a long journey to recovery, requiring two surgeries to mend that wing, and of course an opportunity to molt on new feathers due to the damage incurred, but that bird is flying beautifully now, and we’re excited to see this bird return to the wild.”
The birds which come through the raptor center are released in the same county where they were found to reduce the risk of new diseases being released into the ecosystem.
Bald eagles are federally protected. Fines could reach into the tens of thousands of dollars for a person caught harming one, depending on the severity of the crime.
The Auburn University Raptor Center has been around for more than 50 years. Click here to learn more about it.
