February 6, 2009

For weeks the Wildlife Center of Virginia has been nursing an injured turkey vulture back to health. On Friday he returned to the wild.

When the turkey vulture arrived at the Wildlife Center of Virginia he had been shot. He was missing feathers, had suffered broken bones and definitely could not fly.

“This is a success story. This is a story of an animal that came to us that wouldn't have made it on its own,” said Randy Huwa, Executive Vice President, Wildlife Center of Virginia.

After a three day stint in the clinic in Waynesboro and weeks in an outdoor flight pen, officials say he's ready for the sky.

“In this case the animal responded very well. The bone healed up quickly and there’s really no need for him to continue to be with us,” said Huwa.

At an isolated farm in Nelson County the bird spread his wings and flew away.

“It always is a wonderful feeling releasing something that you worked on and something that you can get back to the wild. A lot of birds we don't get to do that with,” said Lee Schaeffer, Wildlife Center of Virginia.

Although, turkey vultures and most other birds were given federal protection over 50 years ago, this is the third gunshot victim the center has treated this year.

Last year the Wildlife Center of Virginia treated close to 2,500 animals, over 20 were vultures.