WASHINGTON — Following a “1-2-3” count, a rehabilitated bald eagle was released back into the wild to applause from onlookers Wednesday in Surry, Virginia. The bird was injured in October. That’s when two adult bald eagles, believed to have been fighting over territory, were found on the ground with their talons locked together in Portsmouth. When approached, one bird flew away, but the other was captured and eventually transferred to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro. The bald eagle had lacerations to its chest and right shoulder, minor scrapes near its eyes and legs, and showed signs of internal trauma. At the Wildlife Center, the bird’s wounds healed. Earlier this month it was fitted with a GPS transmitter. The equipment will allow biologists to monitor its movements and learn more about things like how high bald eagles fly, and how far they migrate in winter. The GPS data also will be shared with the Wildlife Center, and the bird added to the center’s Eagle Tracking Page. Wednesday afternoon, the eagle was released at Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry in front of an eager gathering of spectators. The bird was tossed into the air by a handler, it began flapping its wings, and then headed off into the sky. Read more about the bird’s recovery here. Watch a video of the eagle’s release:

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