LesTension

By LesTension

Be Careful

This photo of a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was taken at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Milwaukee, WI USA. They have a "theater" called the Raptory where trainers show birds of prey in free flight. They fly right over the heads of the audience in the bleachers to other trainers standing in the background. Of course they have some Eagle Chow in their gloves and that's what the bird flies to. Imagine being a fish and having this coming right at you.
Occasionally a bird decides to take the long route and winds up flying around the zoo. It often takes some time for the trainers to coax the bird out of the trees and back to the glove. But they always get it done.

As a young biologist I used to help band eagle chicks along the Mississippi River. I've had to handle these birds when they weren't happy with my presence at the nest and I can tell you from experience that their grip is formidable when combined with a 6 foot wing span beating you up.

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