North Saanich, Canada, saw a young bald eagle return to the wild on Aug. 26, ending a months-long rescue effort that involved treatment, conditioning, and travel across Vancouver Island.
At a farm release attended by spectators, the juvenile bird, nicknamed Slowy, burst from her kennel and was airborne immediately.
Here's what to know
Her return to the wild came after an extended stretch in rehabilitation.
According to the Goldstream News Gazette, the effort began in late May after Sidney residents found the eagle on the ground, unable to eat or fly. They contacted Const. Matt Slowy of the local RCMP detachment, who passed the report to North Saanich councillor Kristine Marshall.
Marshall said the seriousness of the situation was obvious almost immediately.
"We connected with the rehab centre that we work with, Raptor Rescue Society, and they did all the paperwork and sent people over. Then we went and saw the eagle, realized that it needed help. It wasn't doing well. It wasn't thriving. It was very small. It was very thin," she said.
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At a veterinary facility in Duncan, the eagle was found to have a blood infection associated with malnutrition and fatigue. She was then moved to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington, where she could continue receiving care and use a flight pen to rebuild her strength.
Rescuers called the release Operation Slow-E, a nod to the constable's surname, the bird's slow recovery, and the style of police operation names.
More background
Marshall said the eagle had left the nest so early that she had not yet learned to fly or hunt, meaning rehabilitators had to teach those skills before she could be released.
Allan Marshall, a rescuer and falconry expert who has worked with raptors in the region alongside Kristine Marshall for 15 years, said "there's well over 75 people that have been involved in this bird's care," including drivers and BC Ferries staff who helped transport her between locations.
What's being done?
The Marshalls say the rescue fits into a wider regional effort already in progress.
Over about 15 years in the region, Allan Marshall said, they have helped rehabilitate and release roughly 250 birds of prey. They are also developing a program with community stakeholders to train residents and make bird rescues easier to coordinate.
The eagle was also banded during rehabilitation. If she is ever brought to another wildlife facility again, veterinarians and researchers will be able to identify her and review her history.
Her behavior just before release offered one more indication that the process had worked.
"She was banded yesterday, and quite feisty, trying to fight the people that were banding her, which is what we want, right? She has to be that way to survive," Kristine Marshall said.
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