A Golden Eagle is back home in the skies above Kootenay Lake after an effort to save it from lead poisoning.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service posted a video Tuesday on Facebook of the eagle鈥檚 release from captivity.

The female raptor was spotted on Feb. 19 near Woodbury north of Nelson on the side of the lake by Evan MacDonald and Dan Britten.

The pair brought the eagle to Nelson Animal Hospital, where it was treated for two days before being flown to the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) in Delta.

Nelson veterinarian Leanne Sackney, who has experience working with raptors, said the bird had no signs of injury but was weak and not moving. That quickly changed.

鈥淎n eagle can be a little intimidating,鈥� said Sackney. 鈥淭hey are great big birds and even just the couple days we had her she got quite a bit stronger, so I was grateful there is a rehab place that is trained for treating and caring for them.鈥�

Sackney said blood tests showed the eagle was suffering from lead poisoning, which she added can be common in wildlife at this time of year when some hunters use lead shot or fishers have lead sinker weights.

鈥淭he [person] at OWL told me a piece of lead the size of a grain of rice can poison an eagle, and fairly quickly apparently.鈥�

When the bird was healthy, it was returned to the Kootenays and released near the same spot it was found.

Conservation officer Nathan Smienk was among the small group assisting with the release. Smienk said he brought his family along to witness the event. Only moments after the eagle flew away from its cage it landed on a nearby rock and was joined by another Golden Eagle.

鈥淚 grew up here and it鈥檚 one of those things I don鈥檛 remember seeing as a kid and now they are starting to make a come back,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�

Sackney credited MacDonald and Britten for saving the eagle鈥檚 life.

鈥淭he really cool thing is these guys who cared enough to stop and pick up this large, intimidating bird,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 good people out there.鈥�

tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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