App users, tap here to watch video report.
JAMESTOWN (Erie News Now) – The Audubon Community Nature Center has a lot of things pertaining to plants and wildlife, you’ll also find one undisputed superstar, Liberty the Bald Eagle.
Liberty suffered an injury to her left wing while living in the wilds of Washington State in 2001. She underwent a year of rehab in the Pacific Northwest, but her wing never regained its full strength.
“Without being able to fly long distances, or soar, she wouldn’t be able to hunt. So, that’s how she ended up with us,” says Kim Turner, Animal Care Specialist at the nature center.
The center has been proud to host a bald eagle. Our National Bird. A symbol of our country. Liberty is featured on the nature center’s brochures. She is on a roadside billboard. Stuffed animal replicas of Liberty are sold in the center’s gift shop. She definitely is a star, and visitors can visit Liberty any time they want, free of charge.
“I think it’s a wonderful asset to our community to be able to see such an incredible bird up close. We’re very lucky to have her,” says Turner.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Liberty arriving at the Audubon Community Nature Center. A committee has been formed to make sure a celebration is planned befitting of the center’s most esteemed resident. Katie Finch is the Senior Nature Educator at the center and serves on the committee.
“We just want to celebrate being able to have this unique representative and being honored to care for this bird, really,” she said.
That brings up the question…What gift do you get for a bald eagle? What kind of 20th anniversary present would make Liberty very happy on her special day?
“The best gift we could probably give Liberty is fish,” says Finch.
Leave a Reply