Zoo Atlanta announces death of bald eagle

ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta has announced the death of a male bald eagle on Wednesday.

The eagle, named Sequoyah, hatched in the wild, injured his wing, and underwent rehabilitation at the Southeast Raptor Center.

Zoo officials say he most likely injured his wing by colliding with a power line.

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According to federal law, all bald eagles that are able to be released into the wild must be once they complete rehabilitation.

However, due to the nature of Sequoyah’s injury, he was determined to be non-releasable and needed a permanent home in human care.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved Zoo Atlanta as his new home and he moved there in June 2015.

Though his original wing injury healed, recently veterinarians noticed he was experiencing increased pain in his wing.

After monitoring him closely, vets determined his prognosis was poor and decided to humanely euthanize him on Wednesday.

“Sequoyah was a magnificent individual who introduced countless Zoo Members and guests to the majesty of a national symbol, and he represented a conservation story for one of North America’s most treasured native species,” said Gina Ferrie, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “As he was a bird who was not going to be able to survive in the wild, we are honored to have been able to provide him with the best possible home and care over the past nine years.”

Zoo Atlanta officials said the biggest threats for bald eagles are power line collisions, automobile collisions, lead poisoning, and pollution.

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