Gate is still open. Eggs still not laid. In the problem of how to balance the management of the needs of the bald eagle family of Loblolly and Pitch, the bald eagle parents at Shelter 8, with the consideration for the public visiting the Jordan Lake State Park Area, I find myself considering this:
Along with the laws involving bald eagles and their environment, I hold the thought, central to my approach to all animals, that I as a veterinarian, am responsible to know how animals act in many situations. If I am aware that any animal (bird, horse, cat, dog, snake) is in distress, being disturbed or harassed, I need to bring my training to bear upon the situation. So, paired with the laws or restrictions published about nesting bald eagles, there is my awareness that this pair of bald eagles has lost chicks in the past and that human disturbance has been documented. As a veterinarian and a citizen of North Carolina I must do what I can to bring as much safety to the Shelter 8 nest as I can – and that means getting the gate to Shelter 8 closed. As a veterinarian I must also do what I can to educate: people who perhaps don’t understand how to properly care for their cow or horse or eagle. These bald eagles belong to all of us. There is a marvelous opportunity at Shelter 8 – if this pair can successfully raise chicks, their nest is ideally suited for a webcam. If Loblolly and Pitch again lose their potential family, we will lose that possibility. My thanks to each and every one of you who are working so hard, each of you in your special ways, to give Loblolly and Pitch the greatest safety and our best chance at getting to moment by moment watch them raise their chicks. photo is Mom Loblolly