The female wedge-tailed eagle was released last Friday by shelter founders Jon Rowdon and Gayle Chappell, near where she was found in Barkers Creek.

It is hoped that by releasing her where she was found, the eagle will be able to reunite with her family.

The wedge-tailed eagle was taken to Hepburn Wildlife Shelter with two broken legs on Christmas Eve, 2017 with injuries believed to have been caused by a collision with a car. 

The eagle’s broken legs were operated on by vet Emma Tomkins at Hepburn Veterinary Clinic. 

Its legs were pinned during the surgery before she was subsequently put into the care of the shelter to recover from its major surgery and rest until her bones re-knitted.

After her bones had healed, the eagle then required a further surgery to remove the pins from her legs, which required further resting time so she was able to regain fitness to be in top form when she returned to the wild to be able to hunt her preferred prey, rabbits. 

The wedge-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey in Australia, with a wingspan of 2.84 metres. The species can live up to 40 years. It can soar at altitudes as high as 2000 metres above sea level and can move up to 800km from its nesting site. 

The shelter said it is always in need of donations of woollen blankets to assist with rehabilitating injured animals.