By KAREN MADDEN
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
Friday, July 23, 2004

On Sunday, the Raptor Education Group Inc. facility in Antigo will have one less bald eagle.

At 1 p.m., raptor rehabilitation specialist Marge Gibson will release a 3-year-old male bald eagle at the point by the Lure Bar at 1735 Archer Ave. in Rome.

"I would love for a lot of people to be there, because it's always a learning experience," Gibson said. "Once they see an eagle released, they'll want to come back every year."

The eagle came to the Raptor Education Group from the Sauk City area on Jan. 18. Like many eagles in that area, it suffered from a mysterious toxin problem. The bird was anemic, had minor convulsions and seizures and was unable to fly. After seven months, however, he's ready to go.

It is a bald eagle, but he has a brown head, Gibson said. Eagles don't get their white head and tail until they are about 5 or 6 years old, she said.

The community has decided to hold a nature celebration in honor of the eagle's release, said Terri Anderson, Rome clerk. The activities will include crafters and a chain-saw demonstration in which an eagle will be carved, said Joan Koren, who owns the Lure Bar and Grill with her husband, Tom. The carving will be raffled.

Gibson is excited about having the nature celebration in connection with the eagle release. The eagle is being sent to reclaim the rest of his life, which could last 40 to 50 years. "For him to have a nice sendoff is very exciting," Gibson said. "The freedom is something wonderful for him."

Lake Petenwell contains a large number of carp, so the eagle will have plenty to eat when he is released, Gibson said. He probably will go down river and hang out with other immature birds. They're like a group of teenage friends who like to hang out together at the mall, she said. Eventually, he will find a mate.

The celebration will give people a chance to see an eagle up close, Gibson said. Most people are amazed at their presence and intelligence, she said. People won't be allowed to touch the eagle, but they will get to be within arm's reach of him.

When it comes time for the eagle to fly, it's an awesome sight when he unfolds his wings, Gibson said. The bird looks small when Gibson holds it and its wings are together. It's like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon when he spreads his wings, she said.

"Once the wings are open, people understand how large he is," Gibson said. "Those big wings can take them many miles in a couple of hours."

The eagle must be in top physical shape to be released. It takes a lot of strength to fly and catch food. The bird must be in the same type of shape as an athlete going to the Olympics. The Raptor Education Group facility includes a building 150 feet long, 50 feet wide and 28 feet high to get the birds in shape for their release, Gibson said. The height of the building is important because the birds need to go up. The eagles actually are able to hover inside the building.

Gibson has been working with birds for more than 30 years. Prior to coming to Wisconsin, she had a large wildlife center in California. When she moved here in 1993, she didn't intend to get as deeply involved in helping rehabilitate birds as she is now. It just grew out of the need she saw.

"I don't know how you don't do it - how you know an injured bald eagle needs help and refuse it," Gibson said "That's something you don't do. It's just a matter of doing the right thing sometimes."

However, the right thing can be expensive. It costs between $1,000 and $2,000 for medicine to rehabilitate a bird with lead poisoning, Gibson said. Many people believe the group receives government money because the birds are protected, but that's not true, she said.

"The DNR gives us work but doesn't give us money," Gibson said. The group probably doesn't do a good enough job of promoting itself, Gibson said. That's something that will have to change if it wants to continue.

Money is another reason Gibson is excited about this weekend's event. It also is a fund-raiser for the Raptor Education Group. The money is needed if the group is going to continue to help the eagles and other birds. She hopes it will become an annual event.

The facility currently has 20 bald eagles, Gibson said. The release is the 12th eagle release this year.