Photo gallery: Healed falcon released Tuesday

The Wildlife Center of Virginia released a rehabilitated Peregrine Falcon at the Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton Tuesday afternoon.

The injured peregrine was found by wildlife rehabilitators last month in Accomack County, VA and taken to The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro,VA for medical treatment.

After this peregrine was deemed ready to return to the wild, it was brought to Hampton and released in front of a small group of naturalists and Wildlife Center supporters.

The peregrine falcon is regarded as the fastest animal on earth and is a native species to Virginia.

There are only about 20 known breeding pairs of peregrines in Virginia, mostly in the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas, as well as the Eastern Shore.