These “allegedly artsy” Golden Eagles courtesy of Corey
… to perils associated with mankind.
To wit: A ruling by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caps at five the number of Golden Eagles that members of the Hopi tribe can collect from neighboring Navajo lands. The permit allows the Hopis a total of 40 birds that may be sacrificed for use in religious ceremonies. The Navajo also use eagle feathers as part of rituals, but don’t believe in killing the birds. The USFWS conducted an environmental assessment to ensure that southwestern Golden Eagle populations wouldn’t be threatened by the practice, and attempted to reach a solution that would satisfy both tribes. The ruling is important because as recently as three years ago, several Hopi were prosecuted for illegally killing eagles.
Bald Eagle in Brevard County, by Nate Swick
On a somewhat brighter note, ABC News shares the story of a Bald Eagle that lived to see another day, thanks to modern technology. The bird tried to take a fisher’s bait but became tangled in the line. Google came to the rescue, helping the hapless fisher and his family figure out how to free the eagle. (No word on whether the bird actually got to enjoy its snack.)
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