INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Bald eagles have been removed from Indiana’s endangered species list, and state wildlife biologists released one of the birds to mark the event.

The eagle that was released Tuesday at Monroe Reservoir had been “rehabbed” after its rescue from an emaciated condition early last month. It grew from 6 pounds to 9 pounds while being looked after by the nonprofit Wild Care Inc.

The state began trying to restore the eagles in 1985 and today has about 100 nesting pairs, said biologist John Castrale of the Department of Natural Resources. The bird was removed from the national endangered species list last June and from Indiana’s list early this month.

“The eagle, once a sign of imperiled wildlife, will now be the sign of conservation success,” DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. said in a statement. “Thousands of Hoosiers now have a good chance of seeing one of these majestic birds in the wild in our home state.”

The agency reintroduced 73 young eagles from 1985-89. The first successful nests in the state in more than 90 years were documented in 1991.

The state now classifies the bald eagle as a ‘species of special concern,’ meaning monitoring and management will continue to a lesser degree. The birds also are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Posted 5/14/2008