Bald eagle set for release Nov. 10 at Mt. Cheaha State Park

Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center will release an adult bald eagle Saturday, Nov. 10, at Mt. Cheaha State Park in Delta, Alabama. The release is open to the public and will take place at 10 a.m. on the back deck of the park restaurant.

This eagle was found at Anniston/Calhoun County Regional Airport, grounded and unable to fly. It was taken to the Alabama Wildlife Center in Pelham, Alabama, and was transferred on June 27 to the Southeastern Raptor Center, where it received a thorough medical examination.

Radiographs showed the eagle had a fractured coracoid in its left shoulder. After several weeks of healing and rehabilitation, the eagle is now fully recovered and has regained full flight capabilities.

Details about the case, including care of the eagle, are available on the raptor center website. A map to the release site is available online.

The mission of the Southeastern Raptor Center is wildlife conservation, education and rehabilitation. Since its inception in the mid-1970s, the Southeastern Raptor Center has rehabilitated and released thousands of injured birds of prey and educated more than 1 million people about raptors and other wildlife. The Southeastern Raptor Center is a division of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(Written by Mitch Emmons, emmonmb@auburn.edu)