Overview
- A single female Japanese golden eagle was released near Minamisanriku, Miyagi on Thursday, June 18, 2026, as project staff opened a mountain hut and the bird flew into the wild.
- Project leaders say this is the first time a chick raised in a zoo has been released for wild restoration in Japan and the effort will be closely monitored.
- The bird was transferred from Tama Zoological Park and raised in a purpose‑built, secluded hut where keepers fed it without being seen to prevent human habituation.
- The South Sanriku Eagle Habitat Restoration Council will track the eagle with satellite/GPS devices and plans up to three release events, with up to two birds per event, through 2028.
- The program responds to local habitat loss that wiped out nesting and hunting grounds for the species and aims to test whether reintroduction plus habitat work can restore a sustainable population.