A Red-tailed Hawk was released back into the wild in Clarke County.
The hawk was found in October laying in a parking lot with a broken wing.
The bird was extremely skinny and needed to gain a lot of weight, so The Blue Ridge Wild Life Center performed surgery and put the bird through rehab. This year, The Blue Ridge Wild Life Center has rescued nearly 18 hundred animals and about half of those are birds.
"It's such a joy of celebration. I cry every time. I've witnessed many of these releases and it's just a real beautiful, triumphant celebration of what The Blue Ridge Wild Life Center does and what these animals can do," says Blue Ridge Wild Life Center Employee Jennifer Lee.
The center has released about 15 or 20 hawks in 2012.
