Dollywood announced on April 19 that a tree near the sanctuary was uprooted during overnight storms, compromising their aviary
Credit: THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Three bald eagles escaped Dollywood’s Eagle Mountain Sanctuary after a storm damaged their aviary
- Teams are searching for the eagles, identifiable by leg bands and unique injuries
- The sanctuary remains closed for repairs
Three bald eagles at the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood in Tennessee are missing after a storm damaged their enclosure.
Dollywood announced on Sunday, April 19, that a tree near the sanctuary was uprooted during overnight storms, compromising the aviary.
The aviary, which is 30,000 square feet, "houses the country's largest presentation of non-releasable bald eagles," according to the amusement park's website.
Credit: Google Maps
According to the notice, the other eagles at the sanctuary are currently being housed at the American Eagle Foundation's facilities until the netting can be repaired.
In an April 24 video posted by the American Eagle Foundation, CEO Lori Moore confirmed the search for the eagles named Wesley, Caesar, and Rockland remains ongoing and thanked local residents for their "tips and leads."
"We have teams on the ground actively tracking them, but we also still need your help as they are still flighted birds," said Moore.
Wesley is a female bald eagle with a black leg band, recognized by a chronic shoulder injury that may affect how her wings sit at rest or in flight, said the American Eagle Foundation on social media.
Caesar is described as a male bald eagle with an orange identification band marked “SE” on his left leg, according to a post by the foundation.
Credit: American Eagle Foundation/Facebook
"Caesar suffered a traumatic wing injury caused by fishing line that resulted in a partial amputation, which may affect how he flies or holds his wing," the post stated.
Rockland, meanwhile, is a male bald eagle with a healed fracture in his right carpal joint, and his right ulna is shorter than his left, causing the wing to be displaced, according to a post from the foundation.
"Because of these injuries, Rockland is not fully flighted and cannot travel long distances like an uninjured bald eagle," said the American Eagle Foundation. "He also wears an orange identification band on his left leg with the letters SK on it."
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Anyone who comes across one of the missing bald eagles is asked to notify the American Eagle Foundation at 865-429-0157, via its website, or through social media.
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