Fly like an eagle! After a six-month rehabilitation, one juvenile bald eagle named Dolly was released on Thursday in the wetlands of Southwest Miami-Dade.
It was a long road to recovery for the eagle, who was found in April in a nearby mangrove area and too young to fly. Rescuers from Wildlife Rescue of Dade County were unable to locate her nest despite ground and drone searches.
She was also needing daily treatment for a severe skin infection. Dolly’s recovery involved flight training on a long leash (known as a creance) and slow-motion video analysis to monitor her range of motion and symmetry. Her final step towards freedom was proving she could catch her own fish and feed herself.
“She was resistant and acted for a while as if she would starve than catch her own food. But, she finally caught on has achieved the last milestone in her development that we require for her to be set free,” Wildlife Rescue of Dade County wrote in a post.
“At Wildlife Rescue, we have a policy against naming the animals in our care,” the post continues. “Not only is it illegal and unethical, but it gives people the wrong idea of why we do, what we do. In this girls case, we have made an exception. Because of her great contributions to saving bald eagles we have chosen to name her ‘Dolly’ after Dolly Parton the Country music superstar and American icon.”
Thursday’s release into the wild near the South Dade Landfill was a collaborative effort between Wildlife Rescue of Dade County, the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management and the Animal Services Department.
