A bald eagle that State Wildlife Officer Brian Motsinger rescued in January was released back into the wild Monday afternoon at Indian Lake after a 40-day rehab stay at Crows Hollow Wildlife Care near Richwood, Ohio. Motsinger, out of the District One office in Columbus, was on patrol when he was dispatched to a nearby field after someone reported what appeared to be an injured eagle in distress.
Eventually, Motsinger was able to secure the eagle and take it back to his truck. He said he took the injured eagle to Crows Hollow near Richwood in hopes that the bird would be able to recover. It appears the male eagle was injured in a fight with another eagle over territory. Motsinger talks about what it means to see the eagle released:
Releasing the eagle were the bird’s rehabilitators Judith Vaughn and Barbara Ray as well as State of Ohio Division of Wildlife Director Mary Mertz.
Division of Wildlife Permit Director Stormy Gibson has been involved in rehabilitating bald eagles and is always glad to help release another bird back into the wild. Gibson talks about the collaborative effort:
According to the Division of Wildlife, bald eagles typically nest in forested areas adjacent to large bodies of water. Bald eagle management by the Division of Wildlife includes habitat conservation with an emphasis on wetlands and wooded river corridors, working with rehabilitators who help injured birds, and enforcing state and federal protection.
The bald eagle was once an endangered species, with only four nesting pairs in Ohio in 1979. They have made a remarkable comeback. An estimated 910 eagle nests were reported within the state in 2024.
To report the location of a bald eagle nest, click here.
