The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center will release a bald eagle that has persevered after being hurt in a fierce territorial fight with two younger eagles. The release is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Smith Mountain Lake Community Park, and community members are encouraged to attend.
When the eagle arrived at the center on Sept. 5 from Rocky Mount, it was battered and too weak to lift its head inside the cardboard box it had been transported in.
After several days of intensive care, it stood tall once again, alert and powerful, ready to stretch its wings. When the time came for a test flight in our 50-foot flight pen, it soared beautifully — a clear sign that its recovery was well underway. However, eagles require a minimum 100-foot-long flight enclosure to rebuild the endurance and power they need for life back in the wild.
The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center
The center has been unable to build its own large aviary to rehab larger birds of prey due to ongoing lawsuits since 2018. However, the Wildlife Center of Virginia assisted in the final stages of rehabilitation.
After two weeks of flight conditioning and chelation to remove lead from its blood, the eagle is ready to take to the skies once again.
Two rescues, two hospitals, and hundreds of miles later, the eagle has shown remarkable signs of improvement, as described by the center as a “long and incredible journey of healing.”