Into the blue yonder: Bald eagle soars away after rehab stay

It took less than a minute but Steve Loney, volunteer with Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre, said the event was "breathtaking."

On Monday, he and other volunteers watched a year-old male bald eagle flap its wings and soar back into the wild.

"Off into the wild blue yonder where it belongs," said Loney.

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The bald eagle was found in Austin, Man. in June after it was left by its parents when the family nest fell from a tree.

With great care to avoid imprinting on the bird, volunteers covered themselves in sheets to hide their human forms, fed the starving bird and nursed it back to health.

Now weighing about 400 grams heavier, the bird was healthy enough to hunt and fend for itself. 

"So it took a lot of feed, a lot of fish as you can imagine, and just a lot of care from the dedicated volunteers at Wildlife Haven," Loney said.

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When it was released from its cage Monday, the bird gracefully circled back, almost in a half moon, before disappearing into the sky.

"To see a successful release like this, it never gets old," said Loney.