Bronx, N.Y. – February 11, 2011 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo has adopted two rescued bald eagles found injured in Wyoming.
Both eagles had sustained injuries making them unable to fly and survive in the wild. They were taken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and relocated to the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in the New Jersey Pine Barrens for rehabilitation before being transferred to the Bronx Zoo.
The eagles are juveniles; the male is estimated to be 5 years old, and the female is almost 4 years old.
“The graceful bald eagle is an important symbol of power and strength,” said Jim Breheny, WCS Senior Vice President of Living Institutions and Bronx Zoo Director. “Throughout its history, WCS has played a pivotal role in the conservation of eagles by helping to bring about a change in public attitudes toward the once heavily hunted birds.”
Bald eagles are the national bird of the United States and one of the country’s most notable conservation success stories. Because of protection under the Endangered Species Act, bald eagle populations have recovered and they are beginning to again populate large areas.
In New York City and surrounding communities, bald eagle sightings have become more frequent, an indication that they are returning to an area where they once flourished. Locally, bald eagles have been spotted in Manhattan’s Central Park, the Meadowlands of northern New Jersey, and even recently soaring over WCS’s Center for Global Conservation at the Bronx Zoo.
WCS has been on the forefront of research into the impact of pesticide use on bald eagles. To confront ongoing threats posed by habitat fragmentation, resource extraction, and climate change, WCS’s North America Program continues to employ science-based solutions to protect eagles and other iconic wildlife throughout their range.
Photo: Unable to survive on their own in the wild, these two young bald eagles were rescued and are now on exhibit at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. They can be seen in the Birds of Prey exhibit year around.
Credit: Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS
Contact: Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.orgSteve Fairchild – 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org
The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult admission is $16, children (3-12 years old) $12, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14. Parking is $13 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit www.bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.
If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to: www.wcs.org/donation.
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