A bald eagle has been released into the wild four months after undergoing surgery for a shattered leg bone.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department says the 3-year-old eagle was released at Horseshoe Reservoir northeast of Phoenix.
According to the department, the bird somehow shattered its left femur and was found in February on the ground at a Queen Creek dairy. A Liberty Wildlife medical team used a metal rod and screws to repair the damaged leg.
Raptor biologist Kyle McCarty says the surgery gave the eagle "another shot at survival" and that it will in a few years become old enough to breed and help bolster Arizona's eagle population.
The bird was released a few days ago after being fitted with a GPS transmitter to help track its movements.
