KEWANEE, Ill. — It was a family reunion, weeks in the making!
On Aug. 17, Hog Capitol Wildlife Rescue & Rehab out of Kewanee, Illinois, released Aphrodite the bald eagle back into the wild.
Back in July, a summer derecho ripped through the Kewanee area, producing several tornados and knocking down trees throughout western Illinois. During the cleanup, Hog Capitol got a call of a bald eagle that appeared to be injured in the storm.
"She was a brave mama that went down with her nest and tree," Hog Capitol wrote in a Facebook post on July 16.
While x-rays didn't show any fractures, Aphrodite's tail wasn't functioning properly and she was having difficulty standing. The team estimates she's around 10 years old.
She spent several weeks at the animal rescue center, regaining her strength and coordination. The group posted frequent videos of her recovery, where she was often filmed chattering away and slowly flying again.
All the while, the farmer who owns the land her nest had been in said the father and two eaglets were still in the area.
Nearly one month to the day from when she was found, Hog Capitol brought her back to the spot where her nest went down and released her into the wild.
Before she was even out of the carrier, her mate started circling overhead, calling out for her while Aphrodite chattered back. Once her cage door was opened, she took off and began soaring through the sky, before finding a perch in a nearby tree.
Soon after, Aphrodite and her mate flew off together before turning back around and doing the famed 'death spiral,' where the two birds lock talons and tumble towards the ground together, spinning around in a powerful mating display before releasing and flying away.
"[It] was a magical release for this beautiful bird. She flew strong, hard and high," a Hog Capitol Facebook post on the day of her release said.
Immediately after her release, the team was off rescuing a juvenile eagle named River.
Hog Capitol is always in need of volunteers, resources, food for the animals and donations. If you are interested in donating to Hog Capitol's efforts, you can check out their Paypal or Venmo. Checks can be mailed to Tamara Yarger at 824 N. Burr Blvd., Kewanee, Illinois 61443. You can also donate to the Kewanee Vet Clinic for Hog Capitol Account at 206 Townsedge Rd., in Kewanee or by calling 309-852-2252.