MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — It's a moment three months in the making for staff from the Pocono Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center.
Eclipse, the bald eagle, is getting ready to return to her home along the Delaware River.
"This is amazing; this is all I ever wanted for her. My worst fear was that she wouldn't be able to be released," said avian specialist Sampson Metzgar
The family that called Pocono Wildlife tells Newswatch 16 that this all started when they noticed an eagle in distress along the river.
"I said, we have a grounded eagle, and they loaded up and got here in record time," explained Jamie Gazzana of Mount Bethel.
When members of Pocono Wildlife arrived at the river on that day in April, the solar eclipse was just on the verge of taking over the sky.
Avian Specialist Sampson Metzgar wasted no time in getting the eagle to safety.
"It was right before it happened. So we found her. She took off from a tree on the shoreline and went to one that was over the water and dove in. In a split second, Sampson was in the water," said Gazzana.
Once Metzgar brought the bird back to shore near Delaware Water Gap, she got the name Eclipse.
Then came the long road to recovery after finding an injury to the wing.
"There was still a chance she wouldn't be released or needed surgical intervention, but none of that was needed. We did what we could with what we had, and she healed beautifully," said Metzgar.
That beautifully healed wing helped eclipse soar back into the tree tops, the ultimate full circle moment.
"She knew she was home, and to see her baby from last year go get her lunch and welcome her back to her spot was really cool; that was goosebumps," said Gazzana.
"I'm definitely going to miss her; I looked forward every day I would go in and take care of her, so I am going to miss her a lot," said Metzgar.
Watch the original story of Eclipse's rescue on WNEP's YouTube channel.