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"Bruce" the eagle was hit by a car in August 2016 and taken to Wings of Wonder in Empire, MI. After a four-month recovery, he is headed to his new home at the John Ball Zoo.

(Courtesy | Ken Scott)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - After the recent death of its male bald eagle, the John Ball Zoo has just adopted another of the majestic birds to add to its roster.

The new eagle, who isn't yet named by the zoo, is a young male that got hit by a car in the Upper Peninsula in August 2016.

He was taken to Wings of Wonder, a bird rehabilitation center in Empire in Northern Michigan.

The bird sustained severe spinal trauma. Even though he didn't have any fractures, he refused to stand up for over a month, said Rebecca Lessard, executive director of Wings of Wonder.

"He was very, very docile," said Lessard. "He never struggled, and really settled into rehab protocols. We've really given him a lot of time."

Lessard delivered food to him every day as the bird underwent physical therapy and rehabilitation. He began sitting on short perches and was transitioned into a pen where he could practice flying and landing.

Eventually, he could stand up, perch, fly and tear his food apart with no issues.

"He's a miracle in that the nerves weren't completely, permanently damaged," said Lessard. "He certainly greatly improved to the point where we felt it was as good as it was going to get."

After four months of recovery and rehabilitation, the eagle was just about healed. He was left with some weakness in his right leg and foot, which Lessard said would make it difficult for him to survive in the wild.

Wings of Wonder began to look for a home for him, and timing allowed for the nonprofit to connect with the John Ball Zoo.

"When we lost our male bald eagle, we knew we wanted to replace him right away," said Dan Hemmann, a zookeeper with the John Ball Zoo. "(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) recommended that we take this eagle."

Hemmann and another zoo employee traveled to Empire to visit Wings of Wonder and picked up the eagle on Sunday, Jan. 8.

"He did a remarkable recovery on his own," said Hemmann. "I don't expect any issues. He was with other eagles in rehab, so he's used to living with birds. He's a perfectly healthy bird."

The eagle is currently under a 30-day quarantine before he will enter the eagle exhibit. During this time, the eagle will get exams and undergo tests to make sure he is healthy and ready to be around other birds.