Saturday morning, the rehabilitation of an injured bald eagle will be complete when the bird is finally returned to its home county.

According to representatives from the Auburn University Raptor Center, the eagle is finally ready to return to the wild and will be released between 8 and 9 a.m.

The release was initially planned for Beloit, where the eagle was found. But, Selma veterinarian George Wood, who initially helped treat the eagle, said he received word from the center earlier this week that it had decided Paul M. Grist State Park would be the best location for the release.

“I talked to them (Wednesday) and they decided to change it to Grist from Beloit,” he said. “They are planning to get there around 8:30 a.m. and the release will take place at 9 a.m.”

The eagle has taken a long journey to its return since it was found in the Beloit area by a motorist in December of 2010.

“We had a lady come in and said she had found a bird on the side of the road and she didn’t know what it was,” he said.

“She described it and showed me a picture and it was no doubt we had a bald eagle involved.”

The eagle underwent a series of surgeries after it was taken to the Raptor Center and entered a rehabilitation program.

Wood said he kept up with the eagle’s progress, hoping for the day it could return home.

In an earlier article with the Selma Times-Journal, Wood praised the work of Auburn University and the Raptor Center.

“It’s something they do that there is not a paying client out there,” he said. “Whatever they make comes off donations and whatever grants they can get through the national park service.”