A Virginia wildlife centre wants to help injured bald eagles fly again, but a neighbouring restaurant owner’s opposition to its proposed aviary has triggered an eight-year legal battle that has cost both sides around $700,000

• A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Virginia wants to build a larger aviary where injured bald eagles can regain their strength and practise flying before returning to the wild.
• But the proposed facility has become the centre of a bitter dispute with a neighbouring restaurant owner, turning disagreements over traffic, noise and access to a shared private road into a prolonged legal battle.
• The conflict involving the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke and restaurant owner Stan Seymour has stretched across several years, with legal fees for both sides reportedly reaching around $700,0