Eagle capable of killing bighorn sheep was hit by car in Colorado. Watch it fly home
A golden eagle spent about eight months recovering from an injured wing after it was hit by a car on a Colorado highway — and finally got to fly home, photos and video show.
The eagle was hit by a car in a canyon in June, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region said in a March 4 post on X, formerly known as Twitter. A photo shows the raptor resting on the asphalt, feathers ruffled and beak open, likely from shock.
Wildlife officer Codi Prior took it to the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Del Norte so it could have a chance to rest and recover.
Once it could start to fly again, “it received regular exercise to build strength and stamina,” the agency said. At some point it shared its enclosure with a hawk, a photo shows.
“Last week, the golden eagle was finally ready to return to the wild after eight months of rehab,” the agency said. “Officer Codi Prior picked the eagle up and released it not far from where it was originally found injured. Check out that wingspan!”
Photos and a video show the eagle fly over a hill with no sign of its previous injury visible.
The raptors weigh between 10 and 15 pounds — yet the “incredible hunters” are “capable of killing ungulates and bighorn sheep” that can weigh up to 250 pounds when fully grown.
“Watch as the eagle disappears from our view,” the agency said. “Good luck out there, and stay away from highways!”
“There’s nothing better than watching them fly away,” the agency added.
Del Norte is about a 220-mile drive southwest from Denver.
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 6:41 AM with the headline "Eagle capable of killing bighorn sheep was hit by car in Colorado. Watch it fly home."
