Bald Eagle, After Escaping Death, Released On Washington Lake

CHENEY, WA — A bald eagle in Washington state got a second chance at life recently with the help of an all-volunteer group dedicated to rehabilitating birds of prey.

Neighbors and wildlife enthusiasts alike gathered near Williams Lake on Tuesday to watch the male bald eagle return to nature.

Helping the majestic raptor take his monumental flight was Janie Veltkamp, director of Birds of Prey Northwest. Veltkamp, a raptor biologist, has been rescuing bald eagles and other birds of prey for more than 30 years, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

“The bird got successful treatment. He recovered beautifully. He’s strong today,” Veltkamp told Spokane-based KXLY. “This is a very lucky eagle.”

The bald eagle spent a few months with Birds of Prey after Wayne and Judy Albert of Spokane Valley found him during a Sunday hike at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. He was lying just off the trail, the couple told the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Once they realized he was still breathing, they made some calls and eventually were told to contact Veltkamp.

Veltkamp said the raptor was likely suffering from secondary poisoning, probably from eating a euthanized animal, Veltkamp told the Spokesman-Review.

"It happens more often than you think," Veltkamp told the newspaper.

Once rescued, the bald eagle was fed and given vitamins. Birds of Prey volunteers were able to remove the toxins from his body, according to Veltkamp.

The Alberts were on hand to watch the raptor return to the wild.

“It’s kind of emotional,” Wayne Albert told the Spokesman-Review. “It’s a very good feeling to know that you’ve rescued an animal.”

Neighbor Brenda Devine also watched the special flight.

“It’s just so exciting to see how we can help animals and how we can take care of them, because that’s really what we need to be doing,” Devine told KXLY.

After nearly disappearing from the United States decades ago, the bald eagle is now flourishing across the nation, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The most current government records indicate there are just under 850 breeding pairs of bald eagles in Washington state.

Despite no longer being endangered, bald and golden eagles remain protected under multiple federal laws and regulations including the Eagle Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.

The Eagle Act prohibits anyone from taking, possessing or transporting any eagle or eagle parts (this includes nests, eggs and feathers) without prior authorization. The protections include inactive nests as well as active nests.

This bald eagle is the latest in a series of recent success stories involving the once-endangered animal.

Earlier this week, a police officer in Howard County, Maryland, rescued an injured bald eagle he found in a park-and-ride structure.

Also, just two months ago, another injured bald eagle was rescued after he was found on the side of a highway in the town of Blooming Grove in New York. A state trooper found the animal and used his jacket and a K-9 trooper's bite sleeve to get the eagle into a kennel.

The bald eagle was eventually taken to a rehab facility in New Paltz for further care.

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