Southeastern Raptor Center to Release Bald Eagle at Lake Guntersville July 9
A Bald Eagle rehabilitated by the Southeastern Raptor Center will be released back into the wild on Saturday, July 9, at Lake Guntersville State Park.
The immature eagle was delivered to the SRC, a division of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, last January with a fracture scapula, was treated conservatively without surgery, and has healed successfully, said Dr. Seth Oster, an avian veterinarian at the college.
The bird was rescued at Lake Guntersville State Park by a local
resident and taken to the Alabama Wildlife Center, which transferred it to the center.
The release, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Mabrey Overlook inside the park, is the third bald eagle released this year by the SRC at the state park. Park officials estimate there are about 25 bald eagles nesting in the Marshall County area currently.
The eagle will be released by SRC volunteer Curran Gibson, a junior at Auburn University majoring in nursing who has volunteered at the center for three years.
The Huntsville native has a longtime interest in birds and reptiles and got involved in volunteering at the raptor center her freshman year at Auburn. “It’s rewarding to help nurse them back to health and then to be able to release them into their habitat,” she said.
The mission of the Southeastern Raptor Center is rehabilitation, education and conservation. The rehabilitation unit of the SRC takes in more than 400 injured or ill wild birds each year from Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama. Birds are generally brought by members of the public, a network of Southeastern rehabilitators and educational facilities, as well as state and federal agencies.