Wild Bald Eagle Romances Bird In Zoo. Sign if you think she should be free

This was posted in Care2.com by posted by: Sharon Seltzer 20 hours ago
Wild Bald Eagle Romances Bird In Zoo. Sign if you think she should be free.

We the undersigned request that the female bald eagle should be able to mate or set free.  It is better to be free, than to be gawked at and imprisoned for a life time.  Surely the experts could tag the female bald eagle and monitor her progress?

Please give the eagle lovers, a chance of love in life.

The story below has moved me to tears, and I would like to know how and what you feel. Do you think she should be free?  If you do, please sign. Thank you.

Wild Bald Eagle Romances Bird In Zoo (Video)http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/wild-bald-eagle-romances-bird-in-zoo-video/#comment-1630425

http://www.ocparks.com/newsroom/default.asp?Show=1002964&subshow=A

OC Parks Newsroom

Here%u2019s an early Valentine%u2019s Day story.  For more than a week, a wild bald eagle has shown his affection for a female bald eagle by visiting her twice a day at the Orange County Zoo in California. 

Employees at the zoo first noticed the rare bald eagle about a week and a half ago, sitting in a sycamore tree 15 feet away from the enclosure where 6-year-old Olivia resides.  Since then the two eagles have become very fond of each other with the male visiting the bird of his dreams each morning and afternoon.

Zoo manager Donald Zeigler reported that the wild eagle lands next to the eagle exhibit and the two birds squawk back and forth to each other.

According to the Los Angeles Times, bald eagles nearly went extinct in California in the 1960s, due in large part to the pesticide DDT.  The material caused the birds to lay eggs with extremely thin shells that were impossible to hatch. 

It is estimated that there are only a few hundred wild mating pairs in Southern California. 

Experts speculate that the male bird was probably having a hard time finding a mate, until he spotted Olivia.

However the romance between Olivia and her beau may be short-lived because the female bald eagle cannot be set free.  She is at the zoo because she suffered an injury to her eye in the wild and would not survive on her own.

The other interesting fact about Olivia%u2019s suitor is that he may have been born in the wild.  Most of the bald eagles in Southern California have a tag on their wing that shows they were released from a restoration program on the nearby Channel Islands.  The eagle visiting Olivia does not have a tag.

The Orange County Zoo posted a video of the wild eagle and ever since bird-enthusiasts, photographers and sightseers have flocked to the park to get a glimpse of the two "love" birds.

Linda Jones, a wildlife photographer who has been visiting the zoo as much as possible over the past couple of weeks summed up the bird romance, %u201CWe know this is so rare%u2026  You know he%u2019s going to realize she%u2019s in a cage and leave soon.  So you know it%u2019s going to end.%u201D

THIS IS THE VIDEO FOOTNOTE:
OrangeCtyParks | 25 January 2011 | 26 likes, 0 dislikes

Since January 23rd, 2011, a wild Bald Eagle has been visiting the OC Zoo inside Irvine Regional Park. This Bald Eagle has been spotted perched in trees above the zoo's Bald and Golden Eagle exhibits.