The Ministry of Environment’s Kushiro-shitsugen Wildlife Center has released a bald eagle, which had been under protection for almost two years due to an infection with highly pathogenic bird flu, back into the wild and undergoing extensive treatment and rehabilitation.
In an innovative step, the center used an antiviral drug against influenza that was originally intended for human use. It was the first time in the world that a wild bird, affected by the highly contagious and deadly bird flu, was treated with human medicine and successfully recovered to a condition suitable for reintroduction into its natural habitat, the center said.
After being released into the wild in February, subsequent tracking with a transmitter confirmed that the bird was successfully living independently in its natural habitat.
