Recovered from gunshot wound, bald eagle going back to wild

Thursday, June 30th 2005, 6:49 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An American bald eagle that suffered a gunshot wound about four months ago will be returned to the wild today after being rehabilitated by the WildCare Foundation at Noble.

Governor Brad Henry and first lady Kim Henry will join rescue volunteers in releasing the once-injured eagle at Lake Thunderbird in the evening ceremony.

The bird received a gunshot wound to its left wing near Tecumseh last March.

The bald eagle population has increased in recent years. Most bald eagles that migrate to Oklahoma arrive in October and November and stay until March. The state Department of Wildlife Conservation says that during severe winters in the north, Oklahoma has as many as 1,500 of the birds.

Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman is one of several eagle habitats in the state.