Adult bald eagle to be released at Belle Isle Park this weekend

LANCASTER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A bald eagle will be released at Belle Isle Park in Lancaster County on Sunday after two months of care and rehabilitation.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia announced on Thursday, July 17, that it will be releasing a bald eagle back into the wild at Belle Isle Park at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, at 1632 Belle Isle Road. It was rescued on May 26 after being hit by a vehicle in Middlesex County, according to the center.

"Thanks to expert medical care and weeks of rehabilitation, the eagle has made a remarkable recovery and is ready to return to his natural habitat," the center said.

The center said the eagle was in critical condition, and their veterinary team found that the eagle had a fractured coracoid -- a bone in the shoulder necessary for it to fly.

Bald eagle to be released at Belle Isle Park on Sunday, July 20. (Photo: Wildlife Center of Virginia)

According to the center, blood work showed high levels of lead in the bird's system, which they believe may have impaired its coordination and contributed to the collision.

Over several weeks, the center's veterinary and rehabilitation teams worked to "stabilize the eagle’s condition, treat the lead toxicity, and support the healing of the fracture."

On Tuesday, July 15, the eagle was cleared for release after the center said the eagle had recovered and was strong enough to begin daily flight exercises in a large outdoor enclosure earlier in the month.