One hop, two hops, three, and then the regal Golden Eagle soared into the skies above Rio Vista Friday and to freedom.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for those gathered for the occasion — the release of a rehabilitated raptor that had been in the care of the Suisun Wildlife Center since early December.
“That was fulfilling, exciting,” shared Gary Paulson of Arbuckle, who had found the majestic bird of prey. “It doesn’t get cooler than that.”
Paulson works for California Resources Corporation in Yuba City and often helps out in Rio Vista.
On Dec. 11, he was driving through the city and had crested a rise when he saw the large bird.
“He was sitting on the right side of the road,” Paulson remembered.
The eagle’s right wing wasn’t working right and it kind of hopped around. Concerned, Paulson called Humane Animal Services.
Officer Mike Barnett arrived and eventually scooped up the injured bird. It had traveled about 200 feet from where it was first spotted.
“It’s not my first bird of prey so I knew how to handle it,” advised Barnett, an avid birder and fan of Golden Eagles. “In 2020 I got two Golden Eagles. This is my first adult,” he continued. “When you held him you could feel his power.”
Barnett said he handed over the bird to Suisun Wildlife Center officials, who housed him in their new aviary and took point on his care.
“He had an injury to his right elbow,” said Kris Reiger, wildlife center manager. “He was very thin, very weak. He couldn’t walk for awhile.”
With medicine, rehabilitation and rest, the eagle began to heal and put on weight. Officials estimate that it had been injured and on its own for at least a week before being discovered.
His last exam was Thursday, and plans were quickly made for his release.
“This is only the second time we’ve ever released (a Golden Eagle) back into the wild in 44 years,” said Monique Liguori, the center’s executive director. “That’s the best possible result.”
Barnett agreed.
“I’m very happy,” he said, after Paulson opened a large carrier and the eagle popped out, then made a break for it. “It’s always happy to see a bird you recover heal and go back to the wild.”
For more information on the Suisun Wildlife Center, visit http://www.suisunwildlife.org/ or www.facebook.com/SuisunWildlife.
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