TEMPERANCEVILLE, Va-People on the Eastern Shore traveled near and far to see the release of an eagle with a special story.
After a tumultuous fight with another eagle last year, this eagle endured injuries to its talons, its eye, and had to undergo two surgeries along with rehabilitation.
Doug and Sherry Glascox found the eagle last October when they were kayaking at the Tall Pines Harbor Campground in Accomack County.
The bird was stabilized and taken to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center. It was then taken to the the Wildlife Center of Virginia for extensive treatment.
Ed Clark, President and Co-founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia said, "this is just the perfect example of what happens when people care, and then do something. The bird was seen in distress, two people saw it and made the point to intervene."
Clark says the road to recovery wasn't easy, and the eagle had to receive physical therapy everyday after it was rescued.
"This bird is healthy, and back home in the wild able to be an eagle."
People today said they looked forward to the release for months.
"We went to bed last night and I think we were dreaming about it," Michael Perdue said. He traveled four hours to the release with his kids.
"We were looking out the window on the way here, looking for nests and looking for eagles."
Sherry Glascox said, "When I saw it fly up to the trees and it looked like it realized where it was, to join his family that was just amazing."
The bird has no name and no tracker device. It does have a number band on its leg so it can be identified if it ever needs medical assistance in the future.
