Deputies with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office recently made a startling discovery at the Withlacoochee Technical Institute firing range, just west of the county's Central Landfill.

They found an injured American bald eagle in an open field adjacent to the range’s access road.

Within an hour, a Nature World Wildlife Rescue birds-of-prey volunteer had the national bird en route to Midway Animal Hospital in Homosassa for the initial assessment of an injured right eye and wing. The rescue volunteer told deputies the injuries may have been the result of a turf war. The bird was later transported to Orlando for treatment and rehabilitation.

Nature World Wildlife Rescue is a non-profit, totally voluntary rescue organization that relies on public donations for the work they perform.

For more information about the injured bald eagle or Nature World Wildlife Rescue, call Mary Opall at 352-621-5575.