A bald eagle found injured in Franklin County, and successfully rehabbed at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, is going to be returned to the wild this week.
The Wildlife Center, which is based in Waynesboro, will release the bald eagle at Smith Mountain Lake Community Park in Moneta on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
The public is invited to attend and celebrate the release.
Directions to the site can be found using this address: 1482 Parkway Ave, Moneta, VA 24121.
Prior to the release, Wildlife Center of Virginia staff will share more about the eagle’s rehabilitation and discuss the dangers bald eagles face in the wild, including lead poisoning, vehicle collisions and habitat loss.
The bald eagle set to be returned to the wild on Tuesday was initially thought to have been injured in an altercation with two bald eagles, but after initial triage at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, bloodwork at the Wildlife Center of Virginia revealed subclinical lead toxicosis—a condition caused by ingesting lead.
The team at WCV administered chelation therapy to remove lead from the eagle’s system, and began daily flight conditioning exercises to rebuild the bird’s strength and stamina.
By Oct. 6, the eagle had fully recovered and was cleared for release.
“Lead exposure continues to be one of the most significant threats to bald eagles in Virginia,” said Connor Gillespie, the director of outreach at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, which has treated 56 bald eagles to date in 2025, among the more than 4,600 wildlife patients the center has seen this year.
“It’s encouraging to see cases like this end with a full recovery and a return to the wild,” Gillespie said.
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Chris Graham
