After two months of intensive care at the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Friday Harbor, a female Bald Eagle is flying free again.

She was first spotted in May by residents of the False Bay area of San Juan Island dragging a heavy steel leg hold trap on one of her talons. The eagle was soon caught by Wolf Hollow staff so they could remove the trap and perform an exam to assess injuries. She was thin and weak, and her tail feathers were extremely dirty and broken.

After the trap was removed, it was clear that the jaws of the trap had smashed the bone in the middle toe of her left foot. The surrounding tissue was also dead. Dr. Susan Besel, DVM, in Friday Harbor removed the damaged section of the toe and the eagle returned to recover at Wolf Hollow. Skilled rehabilitation staff carefully monitored and cared for her during the next two months to help her regain her strength.

Now fully recovered, she was released back into the wild this morning near Pile Point on San Juan Island. After an initial short flight and a few moments of rest, the eagle finally flew away, soaring high and disappearing into the foggy sky toward False Bay.

“I am very happy she had a successful rehab and is free once again. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to release such a strong bird who, sadly, had to come into our care due to horrible circumstances caused by an illegal trap” said Penny Harner, the Wolf Hollow rehab staff member who released the eagle.