SARGENT, Texas – The SPCA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services successfully released a bald eagle back into the wild after the bird became entangled in fishing line.
A couple spotted the eagle in a field on a ranch and noticed the bird was snared in fishing hooks and line.
They notified the SPCA, which took the eagle to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator and volunteer with the Houston SPCA's Wildlife Center of Texas.
When examining the bird, the rehabilitator said she noticed the fishing hooks were only caught on the bird's feathers, and the bird was not injured.
After removing the line, the SPCA placed the bird in a 100-foot flight cage to make sure that it was able to fly.
The SPCA then decided to quickly release the eagle back in the area where it was found, amid reports of an eagle nest in the area.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services confirmed the eagle was successfully released Thursday afternoon.