Eastern Wildlife Center News And Photos
Clarance Soars!
Clarance gets ready. Click the picture for a larger photo for your desktop.
Clarance the Eagle, was released 4-7-04 at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. After a 5 month recovery, he was sent flying into the Carolina blue sky in front of 100 school children, US Fish and Wildlife officials and US Congressman for the 3rd district of NC, Walter B. Jones.
Congressman Jones.
The event was a ceremony to commemorate the planting of 7000 Atlantic White Cedars in a project called the Millennium Forest. School children had planted these trees in artistic circular designs over the past three years.
Children and adults sharing a vision.
It was in Stokes, NC where a gentleman named Walter found Clarance in such bad shape. EWC was initially hoping that we could just save Clarance's life and limbs and truthfully never dreamed that he would fully recover. With the skill of the NCSU Veterinary school and the around the clock care at CRC in Charlotte, a wonderful job was done and Clarance healed from his terrible fractures to be free again.
Mark from EWC, Alan from CRC, and Walter who found the wounded Clarance.
Mark met Alan from the Raptor Center and they attended the ceremony together. They met officials of Pocosin Lakes, the USFW service in Atlanta and Congressman Jones. With the temperatures in the 70's, Clarance took off, flew over the crowd then turned and continued, till out of sight to the applause of the crowd. Clarance's flight was a fitting way to end the ceremony.
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Clarance is airborne.......... He waves goodbye!
Links for agencies in this story:
Eastern Wildlife Center
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Carolina Raptor Center
George W. Update
"W" after his bandage was removed and before his transfer to Charlotte
George W's saga has ended. Having been determined by experts that he cannot be released, EWC made an attempt to bring Dubya back to Greenville permanently. He was transferred back to us from CRC (Carolina Raptor Center) in Charlotte, NC.
We filled out the paper work, excited that Dubyah would be a great educational tool for schools in our area, but our application was denied due to changes in the laws concerning bald and golden eagles.
You must now be a museum, a governmental agency, or a foundation with regular public access. We are not open to the public during the week, for the protection of the animals, and using him 12 times a year for education was not going to be enough for the new law. Although it is a bitter pill to swallow, we acknowledge the intent of the law which is to allow the greatest number of people to see these birds.
He has been a great bird, very hard headed and as an adult probably could not be manned successfully. We have had him on jesses but he is extremely strong and since he can fly wants to leave all the time. Unfortunately his ability to fly significant distances and thus hunt on the fly is significantly diminished, due to his injuries. Caroline Ansley, an RN and a friend of EWC, transported George W. to Black Mountain, NC, where he was delivered to a representative of the American Eagle Foundation from Gatlinburg Tennessee, located inside Dollywood.
They have been around for years and actually, hatch, raise and hack out eagles in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They have a large aviary, so he will be free, and since we know he was a breeding bird has great hopes of raising eagles for years to come. George will have lots to do. We must believe that this is the best for him, and we would invite anyone in the Western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee area to visit "Dubya" at Dollywood
We are concerned about the future of these great birds. The placement of these birds has almost reached a full level nationwide. Questions arise concerning what are we going to do with them under the new laws? We will continue to offer our services but wonder why a bird with the best facilities for its well being, would be moved somewhere else?
Gary Salt, President of Salt Wood Products,
checks on George W. in his cage.
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