When Challenger Flies, An Emotional Sight
Posted: Monday, December 22, 2008
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
I don't imagine that most people have nearly the feelings I do about birds and animals. There are far more people who prefer to hunt and kill them for sport, than there are like me. I have a throe of emotion when I see any kind of road kill. I am extremely thankful for my affection of those creatures. If a person has ever witnessed the Bald Eagle, Challenger, as he performs at sports events or other special gatherings of large numbers of spectators. I've never had the opportunity to actually be present at one of his performances, but I have watched them on TV and other videos and I say without exaggeration or embellishment, I choke and tears well up in my eyes. Every time. I don't even understand why. It happens as he is finishing his flyovers and heads towards his human friend. His graceful flight at high speed, the length of the football field to alight upon his friend's outstretched arm.
Challenger is a very unusual bird. He was blown from his nest in 1989 when very young...some sources say five weeks, and was cared for and handled by the people who found him, causing him to grow up to feel that he was part of the family and knew nothing other than humans. Two attempts were made to release him back into the wild, but after a narrow escape from death, it was determined that he was non-releasable and was placed with the American Eagle Foundation to be used for educational purposes and fundraising for various wild life causes.
I believe, the reason I feel toward this bird as I do and as I also feel toward dogs and a few other animals which I have owned, is that they have, somehow, formed an allegiance with humans. Challenger, when he was released those two times in the wild, knew nothing about the natural instincts of survival of which his wild species are so adept. He was seen a number of times after each of the two releases, when he approached humans in an effort to beg food. On his second release, he lit near a gentlemen who was frightened and who started to kill him with a stick, but another man stopped him. It was then they decided that he was non-releasable. The only thing he knew about food was that man had always given it to him.
I have mentioned this in previous articles, but we found a freshly hatched House Finch entangled in a torn up nest after a cat had ravaged it. Just a pink skinned little worm looking piece of flesh whose pop-eyes were still unopened. One of our daughters had worked with an injured wildlife rescue clinic so she took it and brought it through it's first 4 days and returned it to us. By then she was sitting upright and had started sprouting pinfeathers. And, her mouth stayed wide open wanting food and water. We spoiled her rotten and complied with her every wish. As she grew up, she never saw another wild bird. She literally felt as if we were her parents and certainly her benefactors. We had intended to release her but as time went on we realized her survival in the wild would be extremely questionable. Besides she loved us and we certainly loved her. She sang the beautiful song of the House Finch even though she had never heard it, and never missed a note.
There are many animals who, if hand raised from near birth, will become so dependent upon humans they cannot survive on their own. Plus they obviously feel they are one us. If someone plans to purchase a bird, whether it is canary, parakeet, finch or whatever, they should seek and try to locate one which has been hand raised. There are companies which do that and the difference in their lives and attitude toward humans will be well worth any extra costs.
Facts about the Bald Eagle: The female Bald Eagle is larger than her mate. She measures from 35 to 37 inches in length while "Shorty" her husband is only 30 to 34 inches. Likewise her wingspan is 79 to 90 inches while his is 72 to 85. Their weight is anywhere from 8 to 15 pounds.
They normally always live near water, coastlines, rivers, lakes, etc, because their diet is largely fish. The eyes of the Bald Eagle are a creation masterpiece of God. They have two foveae which indicates two points of focus. In other words they can see to the front at the same time they are looking to the side. Their vision is so great they can see a fish underwater from an altitude of several hundred feet.
What a wonderful symbol of a National Bird for our country. The three links below are well worth your time to watch and I urge all to see them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOZF4vTAF2M & feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfevfJNDuIg
http://www.eagles.org/challenger.html
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