A Spanish imperial eagle has returned to the wild in Villamayor de Santiago, central Spain. The bird spent more than ten months recovering from two fractures.
The release took place on a week ago, the Castilla-La Mancha’s regional government announced on Tuesday.
The eagle received treatment at Albaladejito wildlife recovery centre in Cuenca. Before release, staff fitted a GPS device to track the bird’s movements. The device will help staff follow the eagle’s return to life outside the centre.
Railway security staff found the injured eagle on 30 December 2025. Environmental officers collected the bird beside a high-speed railway line.
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Two operations before release
Veterinarians found a broken bone in the left wing. Officials suspect a collision with railway cables, although they have not confirmed the cause.
During recovery, the eagle broke the right leg in an accident inside a flight enclosure. A second operation and further care were needed before release.
A joint assessment for 2021–2022 put the breeding population in Spain and Portugal at 841 pairs. Spain’s environment ministry published that figure in March 2023. It was 53% higher than the previous assessment in 2017.
The ministry linked recovery to years of protection and conservation work. Making dangerous electricity lines safer has been especially important. Castilla-La Mancha recorded 396 breeding territories in 2022, making the region central to the eagle’s recovery.
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