SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A bald eagle has been rehabilitated and freed after being rescued in 2012 in Texas following an alleged attempt to capture the bird for falconry.
An official with the nonprofit group Last Chance Forever said Tuesday that the eagle was released into the wild in June. Executive director John Karger declined to say where the eagle was freed.
Karger says the 3-year-old male was treated for avian pox and a broken beak, suffered during illegal attempts to capture it. San Antonio-based Last Chance Forever has a federal permit to rehabilitate injured birds.
A Houston-area man was convicted of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, put on probation and fined $15,000 for disturbing the nest on his property. Prosecutors say he intended to catch and train the eaglet for falconry.