Lady Baltimore was a non-releasable bald eagle in the care of the non-profit Juneau Raptor Center (JRC), in Juneau, Alaska.[1] Lady Baltimore was found shot and injured on Alaska's Douglas Island in 2006. She had suffered injuries to her beak and one wing caused by a poacher. The injury to her beak caused the retina in her left eye to become detached, blinding her in that eye. Because of these injuries she had no depth perception, and could not be released into the wild.[2]
Life
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Lady Baltimore was found after a failed poaching, which left her alive but severely injured. Volunteers with the Juneau Raptor Center rescued her, after an estimated 2 weeks of surviving her injuries on her own. JRC volunteers found her to be malnourished, and determined that she could not survive on her own, because her injuries caused her to aim her body poorly when flying and hunting.[2] Since then, Lady Baltimore had been cared for year-round by JRC. During the summer tourist season she was put on display as an educational animal in a mew created and maintained by JRC, at the Mount Roberts Tramway on Mount Roberts.[3]
New habitat, and relocation
editIn 2019, the Mount Roberts Tramway and other donors paid for a new mew. The new habitat was larger, and provided better viewing for both visitors as well as the eagle.[4]
However, in 2022, Lady Baltimore's host, the Juneau Raptor Center, ended operations. As a result, Lady Baltimore was moved along with one other eagle to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka.[5]
Death
editIn February, 2024, staff at the Alaska Raptor Center discovered that Lady Baltimore's health had deteriorated to the point where she no longer had a good quality of life. She was subsequently euthanized.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Lady Baltimore". National Geographic. 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Education Birds". Juneau Raptor Center. June 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ "Catch-22 for the Juneau Raptor Center". Juneau Empire. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Hohenstatt, Ben (6 April 2019). "Juneau Raptor Center gives 'good old bird' new display". Seattle Times. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ Larson, Clarise (13 September 2022). "Juneau raptor center suspends operations". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ Garrett, Jasz (9 June 2024). "Legends of Lady Baltimore, Juneau's famous bald eagle, fly on after her death". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 9 June 2024.