06/19/2026
Annette gave me the opportunity to release this young eagle near the area where I rescued her. She had been found covered in sludge and f***s beside one of the ponds at a wastewater facility that was undergoing repairs. My best guess is that she mistook the sludge for solid ground when she landed and became trapped.
After a week of being cleaned up, cared for, and well fed, she was ready to return to the wild. I wanted to get her back as quickly as possible. With an active nest nearby, I didn't want her parents to give up hope and move on.
The challenge was finding a safe release location close to the nest but away from the wastewater facility. Then I remembered a beautiful property where I had taken my granddaughter's senior pictures, only a short distance from the nest. I reached out to Juniper Lane Owasso and asked if we could use the property for the release. Without hesitation, they said yes.
It could not have been a more perfect place to return her to the skies. To make the moment even more special, my wife had the honor of opening the carrier and setting her free.
I've always loved this quote from Jacques Cousteau:
"For man cannot give wild animals freedom; they can only take it away. When we release them into nature, we merely return them to what is already theirs."
Moments like this are a reminder that wildlife doesn't belong to us. Our job is simply to help when they need it and then step aside so they can reclaim what has always been theirs.
Greg Silva - Wildlife Photography
