With anxious onlookers representing Dickerson Park Zoo, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Missouri Department of Conservation and the general public watching, a golden eagle took flight back into the wild after a month and a half rehab stop-over at the zoo's raptor rehabilitation center.
Zoo staff veterinarian Erica Wilson, DVM, opened the kennel, and the eagle - a rare site in Missouri - took off and never looked back.
The bird was injured and brought to Dickerson Park Zoo by residents of Dallas County. Fortunately, the injury - a broken wing tip - did not require surgery.
Golden eagles are rarely seen in Missouri. Their typical range is the western United States. More commonly during winter months, reisdents will see bald eagles roosting near waterways.
For more about golden eagles in Missouri, visit Missouri Department of Conservation's Web site.
Zoo staff selected Lake Springfield as the release site for the eagle because MDC and Parks staff regularly monitor eagles roosting here.
In this image, note the characteristic golden feathers on the back of the head. As the bird looked around this morning, the golden coloring caught the sunlight.
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