NEWARK, Ohio — A bald eagle that was rescued in Licking County has been released back into the wild.
The juvenile eagle was rescued by the Ohio Wildlife Rescue team after someone spotted the injured bird near a backyard woodpile on Audrey Drive West in Newark on June 12.
The bird had a broken wing after possibly being hit by a car.
The eagle was cared for at the Ohio Wildlife Center for pain management, wing wrapping, nutrition and hydration.
Then at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in Mansfield, the eagle continued physical therapy, flight recovery and muscle strengthening until its release on Wednesday.
“The release of a majestic bird such as this Bald Eagle is the result of the efforts of many people who coordinated care for months to reach a date to send it back to the wild,” said Dusty Lombardi, executive director of the Center.
Thanks to conservation efforts, bald eagles were removed from Ohio's list of threatened and endangered species in 2012 and from the federal list in 2007.
The Ohio Wildlife Center's wildlife hospital has treated two bald eagles this year, three in 2019 and five in 2018.
There have been 707 confirmed eagle nests in Ohio this year, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife's nest census.
The Ohio Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that is open during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to donations.
