Success Story: Bald Eagle Returns to the Wild After Recovery At Wild Heart Ranch

Wild Heart Ranch released a bald eagle back into the wild on Wednesday.

The wildlife rescue says the eagle came into care about a month ago with food poisoning. The eagle was released at Oologah Lake and quickly found shelter in the trees nearby. Wild Heart Ranch said it has helped at least 60 bald eagles recover and return to the wild.

The care team says they have four other eagles currently in its care that it hopes to release soon. Unfortunately, the rescue did have to put down an eagle Wednesday morning. According to a representative with Wild Heart Ranch, the eagle arrived Tuesday night in bad shape and struggling to breathe. They said it appeared to have lead poisoning but a blood test was needed to verify that assumption.

Lead poisoning is common in eagles in other birds of prey for various reasons, but thanks in large part to their diet. Bald eagles primarily feed on fish and are known to scavenge dead animals, but they can suffer from lead toxicity when they ingest lead sinkers or ammunition found in carcasses. Fishermen may inadvertently provide lead-laden fish that die after swallowing hooks. Hunters leaving lead ammunition in field-dressed animals expose scavenging eagles to lead.