Ol' Glory and America

Ol' Glory

Ol' Glory is a male Bald Eagle from Alaska. In 1990, he was found on the ground unable to function. He was not feeding himself well. He was rehabilitated, banded and released. He stayed out in the wild for about two years, when he was found again on the ground in worse condition than the first time. He was taken out of the wild, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to release him again. He was diagnosed with pesticide related problems (DDT) in his fatty tissues, which was causing neurological damage (i.e. twitching, erratic head movement, etc.). As long as he was catching enough food, he was fine. Any time he would need to draw from his fat reserves, he would poison himself. The effects of the poison limited his ability to capture prey. This in turn would cause him to draw from his fatty tissues more, and the cycle continued.

In 1992, Ol' Glory arrived at the American Eagle Foundation's (formerly National Foundation to Protect America's Eagles) education, breeding and rehabilitation center in Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, he was housed with a female named America at the AEF's "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary on the Dollywood entertainment park.

America

America is a female Bald Eagle that arrived at the American Eagle Foundation's (formerly National Foundation to Protect America's Eagles) education, breeding and rehabilitation center on April 3, 1991. America was one of the unfortunate victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. She apparently saw a fish floating on the top of the water and went down to get it. Once she hit the water, she became mired in the oil. As she struggled to free herself, she struck the rocky shore with her wings. As a result, she broke her right wing. America only has partial flight ability and she cannot survive on her own in the wild.

America is housed at the AEF's "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary on the Dollywood entertainment park in Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, she was given a mate. They became very close. Unfortunately he later died of a neck injury. In the spring of 1992, a male named Ol' Glory was placed in America's aviary.

Raising a Family

Ol' Glory and America begin sitting side by side almost immediately, as if it was love at first site. This was great because America had just lost her previous male mate to a neck injury. In 1996, after three long seasons of patiently waiting, America laid two eggs! Ol' Glory and America both shared egg incubating duties and took turns caring for the young once they hatched. They were very good parents. The two healthy eaglets were released into the wild on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee.

Since then they have laid a total of 6 eggs, none of which have hatched. Hopefully, this will be their year to increase the population of Bald Eagles in the wild. They are seen and appreciated by 2 million Dollywood visitors annually.



	Ol' Glory Ol' Glory is a male Bald Eagle from Alaska. In 1990, he was found on the ground unable to function. He was not feeding himself well. He was rehabilitated, banded and released. He stayed out in the wild for about two years, when he was found again on the ground in worse condition than the first time. He was taken out of the wild, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to release him again. He was diagnosed with pesticide related problems (DDT) in his fatty tissues, which was causing neurological damage (i.e. twitching, erratic head movement, etc.). As long as he was catching enough food, he was fine. Any time he would need to draw from his fat reserves, he would poison himself. The effects of the poison limited his ability to capture prey. This in turn would cause him to draw from his fatty tissues more, and the cycle continued. In 1992, Ol' Glory arrived at the American Eagle Foundation's (formerly National Foundation to Protect America's Eagles) education, breeding and rehabilitation center in Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, he was housed with a female named America at the AEF's "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary on the Dollywood entertainment park. America America is a female Bald Eagle that arrived at the American Eagle Foundation's (formerly National Foundation to Protect America's Eagles) education, breeding and rehabilitation center on April 3, 1991. America was one of the unfortunate victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. She apparently saw a fish floating on the top of the water and went down to get it. Once she hit the water, she became mired in the oil. As she struggled to free herself, she struck the rocky shore with her wings. As a result, she broke her right wing. America only has partial flight ability and she cannot survive on her own in the wild. America is housed at the AEF's "Eagle Mountain Sanctuary" aviary on the Dollywood entertainment park in Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, she was given a mate. They became very close. Unfortunately he later died of a neck injury. In the spring of 1992, a male named Ol' Glory was placed in America's aviary. Raising a Family Ol' Glory and America begin sitting side by side almost immediately, as if it was love at first site. This was great because America had just lost her previous male mate to a neck injury. In 1996, after three long seasons of patiently waiting, America laid two eggs! Ol' Glory and America both shared egg incubating duties and took turns caring for the young once they hatched. They were very good parents. The two healthy eaglets were released into the wild on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee. Since then they have laid a total of 6 eggs, none of which have hatched. Hopefully, this will be their year to increase the population of Bald Eagles in the wild. They are seen and appreciated by 2 million Dollywood visitors annually.