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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- It was this summer during the severe thunderstorms that Chief Wapello took a tumble from atop the Wapello County Courthouse.

Once the chief was removed from his mount, he traveled around southeast Iowa where people got to take a look at just how big the chief really is.

After his travels, he was sent off to Omaha, Nebraska to get fixed and the rehabilitation process has already started.

“The chief right now is in two big pieces -- the upper torso and then the lower part, the leg. And they've taken all of the crushing out of the upper part of the body. They’re ready to apply a coating to him that will inhibit any further deterioration once he's put back up,” said Jerry Parker, Wapello County Supervisor.

Parker said the chief should be back in Ottumwa in the spring. From there, he’ll be displayed at the court house for a month and then placed back on his perch atop the courthouse.