Rehabilitated American Bald Eagles to be Released in Ames on Saturday

Two American bald eagles might soar into the skies above McFarland Park in a eagle rehabilitation celebration ceremony 10 a.m. Saturday or they might not.

Kay Neumann, of executive director, a non profit that has rehabilitated eagles and other raptors since 1999, said she's done predicting what will happen at releases.

Two bald eagles SOAR rehabilitated over the winter, one with the help of 's Wildlife Care Clinic, might fly into the sky and out of sight or just to the nearest tree branch and hang out for a bit.

One thing is certain releasing two eagles, which were suffering from toxins including lead, will be a celebration.

“Rehabilitation is hard. It doesn't always work out that we are able to let the animal go,” Neumann said.

One of the two eagles that will be released Saturday was found with two other eagles that had high lead levels and couldn't be saved. One died on the way to Iowa State University's Wildlife Care Clinic and the other died a couple days later, said Katelyn Schreiber, an ISU junior at the Wildlife Care Clinic.

But the third, a male eagle found disoriented in Union County in February, was up and alert and now he's ready to return to the skies.

“This is the fun reward part of rehabilitation, to be able to get them back out in the wild,” Neumann said.

The joint release by SOAR and the Wildlife Care Clinic will serve as an unofficial fundraiser for the nonprofit student clinic. Donations are welcome but not necessary to attend.

The clinic is staffed by five ISU undergraduate students in donated space at the Iowa State University Veterinary Medical Clinic. The clinic cares for all different types of injured wildlife and cared for one of two eagles to be released 10 a.m. Saturday.

Schreiber of West Liberty, said most of the eagles the clinic treats have symptoms of lead poisoning. They have trouble breathing and seem disoriented she said.

“A normal raptor is trying to kill you, well not really kill you, but they defend themselves. Lead poisoned eagles don't care. They are limp and just don't want to do anything,” Schreiber said.

Neumann couldn't confirm that the male eagle she received from the Wildlife Care Clinic had been poisoned with lead, but the second eagle to be released Saturday, a female found in Dickinson County in November tested positive. The female eagle received kelation treatment and both eagles are currently exercising their wings in SOAR's flight pen.

Lead is bioaccumulative meaning lead levels build up overtime. Eagles are scavengers and likely ingest the heavy metal while eating the remains of hunted animals, Neumann said.

It's unclear where the eagles to be released in Ames on Saturday were from originally. Eagles winter over Iowa's open water and typically return back north to nest, Neumann said. They might have been from the locations they were found or just flying over.

“They can travel a long way in a short amount of time,” Neumann said.

Read more about the release .