Final poisoned eagle released back into wild
The last of the poisoned eagles found in Dakota County was released by The Raptor Center on Feb. 18, 2023. (Courtesy: The Raptor Center)
More than two months after a dozen eagles were found sick from suspected poisoning in Dakota County, the last one has been released back into the wild.
The University of Minnesota Raptor Center says the eagle was released Saturday and “went back to the wild strong and feisty after also surviving lead poisoning and soft tissue injuries.”
“We are extremely excited to see 10 eagles from this event fly free once again after coming to us critically ill in early December. We are full of gratitude for our staff and volunteers who worked around the clock to provide intensive treatments and rehabilitation care,” the center said in a social media post on Monday. “Gratitude for our amazing supporters, who came together and made sure we had the supplies and financial means to care for the critical birds. And gratitude for our community- who keeps sharing the vital one-health message that the health of our environment impacts everyone that lives there, eagles and humans alike.”
RELATED: Nearly a dozen sick eagles receive care following suspected poisoning in Dakota County
The eagles were admitted to The Raptor Center in the first week of December with suspected euthanasia solution poisoning. Ten survived and staff then worked to rehabilitate the eagles.
The first eagle was released back to the wild just before the end of 2022. Another six were released in the first week of 2023.
“To see these birds feeling good and go into the ecosystem, and do what they are meant to do, is why we do what we do,” Dr. Dana Franzen-Klein, the medical director at the Raptor Center, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS last month.
Now, all of the birds are healthy and back where they belong.