Healed eagle returns to wild
Published: January 23, 2006
AFTER an 18-month recovery from an accident that left it unable to fly, this magnificent sea eagle spread its wings and flew away to a new life yesterday.
The young bird was taken to the Raptor and Wildlife Refuge Inc. at Kettering with severely damaged primary flight feathers and broken tail feathers after colliding with either a boat or a car.
Refuge owner Craig Webb said the juvenile sea eagle, found at Dolphin Sands on the East Coast, was allowed to heal itself.
“It was just a matter of rehabilitating , watching its health, occasional worming, checking by hand and generally leaving it alone while giving it good food and keeping it safe,” he said.
“Normally the feathers are replaced using knitting needles and glue but it was a young bird, so we let them grow out by themselves.”
When the day came for the eagle to be released back into the wild, Mures, who sponsor the refuge by providing baitfish to feed the sea eagles, offered the use of their trawler Diana to take the bird out into the river for release.
A large group of passengers on the boat watched as the eagle was released from its leg bonds and protective hood and wing restraint.
It spread its wings in the wind and flew straight to a dead tree on the banks of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, north of Kettering.
Mr Webb said it was a wonderful experience to see the eagle return to the wild again in perfect health.
“It was a fairytale, really,” he said. “I had a sleepless night last night and I woke up at 4am worrying about whether I had forgotten to do something.
“It’s going to go and find its new territory now,” he said.
There are four other eagles recovering from human-related injuries at the raptor and wildlife refuge as well as a number of other types of native animals.
Mr Webb said he hoped yesterday’s successful sea eagle release would help increase awareness of the animals and how human activity can impact on their lives.
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