Rehabilitated bald eagle released near Moncure

Wake County Environmental Program coordinator Liani Yirka took the eagle to the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in early June after landfill operators found it. Yirka said the eagle was thin, lethargic and seemed very ill when it arrived in Durham at the rehabilitation clinic. 

"During one of our staff meetings we got a call from our landfill operator that they had found an eagle," she said. "It was not doing very well at all. We picked the eagle up, put it in a box and took it to the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in Durham. They took excellent care of it until they could get it to the Charlotte Raptor Center."

Yirka said she wasn't sure why the eagle was sick. 

"I'm just glad it got better so quickly and is ready to go back where it belongs."

The eagle, which is fully grown, will be released back into the wild today near where officials found it. Because eagles mate for life, Yirka said she's hopeful that it will be able to find its mate near Jordan Lake. 

"Jordan Lake is a large body of water where their normal habitat is so we're hoping this is close enough to our landfill that it will be able to make its way back home," Yirka said. 

Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007 after spending 30 years as an endangered or threatened species. 

The public is invited to witness the release, which will be 12 p.m. Saturday at the Jordan Lake Dam. Those planning to go should use Moncure Pittsboro Road to get to Jordan Dam Road.