Room to fly
Public welcomes golden eagles to new home
Navajo Times | Ravonelle Yazzie
A golden eagle is perched on a rock in its new eagle aviary home in Window Rock at the Navajo Nation Zoo.
WINDOW ROCK
The golden eagles shook the doors on their carrying cases as guests and staff anticipated their release into the new aviary at the Navajo Zoo.
The Navajo Zoo held a grand opening Friday for the 4,000-square-foot eagle aviary, constructed in a way that could let the zoo house between 20 and 25 eagles. United States Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that the aviary stands larger than any other single enclosure under their Live Eagle Possession for Religious Purposes permit, making it the largest enclosure permitted to a tribal facility.
“There’s an old proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child,” Zoo Manager David Mikesic said at the opening. “We’re not raising a child here today, but we are going to be taking care of a number of injured non-releasable eagles in our facility.
It truly did take a large number of people and organizations to make this project happen.”Mikesic thanked those who contributed funding, the staff at the zoo, and those who worked on the project.
The new structure will substantially boost to the number of eagles the zoo can hold.
To read the full article, pick up your copy of the Navajo Times at your nearest newsstand Thursday mornings!
Are you a digital subscriber? Read the most recent three weeks of stories by logging in to your online account.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow