A bald eagle took flight for the first time Tuesday after being injured in a fierce fight.
The eagle came to Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center from Rocky Mount in early September after a territorial fight with two younger eagles.
The bird arrived utterly exhausted, battered, and so weak he could barely lift his head from the box he was transported in.
Wildlife center staff say while the eagle had no visible injuries, bloodwork revealed he was suffering from lead poisoning — something the center says is very common in bald eagles.
“Once we determined that the eagle had lead poisoning, our team immediately started therapy, which is our way of removing that lead from the eagle’s system,” a staff member at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center said. “And after one round, we were happy to see the lead had been successfully removed.”
After a few weeks of intensive care and much-needed rest, the eagle reclaimed the skies over Smith Mountain Lake.