Mill Mountain Zoo announces the arrival of a non-releasable male Bald eagle, named, Tommy, who was born in 2020. He was found in Atlantic Beach, NC in June of 2020 and brought to a raptor care center after being seen injured on the side of a road and unable to fly.
Upon evaluation, it was discovered that he suffered no fractures or visible injuries but was missing several primary feathers on his left wing. He was placed into a flight enclosure to allow for the regrowth of the feathers, but after 1 year, any new feathers that had begun to grow fell out before fully maturing.
Tommy was transferred to a North Carolina wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife sanctuary in June 2021 and after continued care and daily evaluation of the bird’s temperament and flight capabilities, it was determined that he was not a candidate for release. Because he is missing primary feathers, he is only partially flighted and cannot achieve full flight or fly long distances.
An eagle’s eyesight is 4 times sharper than humans and they are known to be able to dive at speeds of 75-99 miles per hour; however, if an eagle cannot gain full flight, they cannot hunt properly, and they will starve. For this reason, both eagles at Mill Mountain Zoo are non-releasable in the wild.