A 3-year-old bald eagle in West Virginia was released back into the wild after he ran into a little bit of trouble late last year. Watch the video in the player aboveAfter a rehabilitation, it was released back into the wild Wednesday at Bluestone Lake in the New River Gorge. The bald eagle crashed into a fence last October and the bird’s attempt to flee made his injury worse. The eagle ended up breaking his humorous, causing him to lose his ability to fly.As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a high lead content, which ended up making him sick.But after extensive surgery and rehab, the eagle can take flight once again and he was released to answer the call of the wild. “You can see the muscles healed beautifully, so he is now lead-free. So he is out here to join the other young eagles hanging out around Bluestone Lake,” said Wendy Perrone at Three Rivers Avian Center.And Bluestone Lake is the perfect habitat for the young eagle. Ever since the 1990s, bald eagles have been making Bluestone their home thanks to conservation efforts.Dams built in the 1940s and 50s help create the perfect habitat for bigger fish and water fowl, some of the eagle’s favorite food.But how do we prevent wildlife from ingesting lead in the first place?One option is to switch from lead tackle when fishing. Lead ammunition is also the leading cause of lead in animals. “There’s plenty of options out there for non-lead ammunition,” Perrone said. “The prices have come down to now where it’s competitive.” It took about four months in total for the eagle’s rehabilitation, which is right on target. He is expected to thrive in his new home.
A 3-year-old bald eagle in West Virginia was released back into the wild after he ran into a little bit of trouble late last year.
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Watch the video in the player above
After a rehabilitation, it was released back into the wild Wednesday at Bluestone Lake in the New River Gorge.
The bald eagle crashed into a fence last October and the bird’s attempt to flee made his injury worse. The eagle ended up breaking his humorous, causing him to lose his ability to fly.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a high lead content, which ended up making him sick.
But after extensive surgery and rehab, the eagle can take flight once again and he was released to answer the call of the wild.
“You can see the muscles healed beautifully, so he is now lead-free. So he is out here to join the other young eagles hanging out around Bluestone Lake,” said Wendy Perrone at Three Rivers Avian Center.
And Bluestone Lake is the perfect habitat for the young eagle. Ever since the 1990s, bald eagles have been making Bluestone their home thanks to conservation efforts.
Dams built in the 1940s and 50s help create the perfect habitat for bigger fish and water fowl, some of the eagle’s favorite food.
But how do we prevent wildlife from ingesting lead in the first place?
One option is to switch from lead tackle when fishing. Lead ammunition is also the leading cause of lead in animals.
“There’s plenty of options out there for non-lead ammunition,” Perrone said. “The prices have come down to now where it’s competitive.”
It took about four months in total for the eagle’s rehabilitation, which is right on target. He is expected to thrive in his new home.
