Rehabilitated Eagle Released Into Beaver County

POTTER TWP. (KDKA) -- Abandoned farmland in Potter Township, Beaver County, is about to welcome a rehabilitated bald eagle. The fledgling was discovered in Shippingport last August, by First Energy employees.

"They had found this bird, laying in the middle of the road," says Ron Lonnett, a manager at the Bruce Mansfield Power Plant.  "And they could tell that it was in some kind of distress."

The call went out to Wildlife Conservation Officer Matt Kramer.

"After we, the Game Commission, got a hold of the eagle, we took him to the Wildlife Center in Verona," he says.

Director Jill Argall says the bird was in bad shape.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

"Severely broken wing. Emaciated. Dehydrated.  So we kind of took it from there, with care. It actually ended up in Cleveland, to get surgery."

Pins were placed in the bones of the wing.  Next stop: Tamarack Wildlife Center in Saegertown, where he slowly learned to fly.  Tamarack Center director Carol Holmgren says the damaged right wing has healed.  A hood is placed over the eagle's eyes to calm him down, and it remains in place till he's carried to his take-off spot.  Once he's released, he takes to the air, and flies off.  Success!

"He did pretty much what I thought he was going to do," the Tamarack director  says.  "He took off, found someplace to land, thought about his circumstances a little bit, and then made a plan.  He flew off downstream, and out of sight."

Somewhere in the woodlands, a one-year-old eagle is beginning life anew.  This is one case where a bird in the bush is better than two in the hand.