07/04/2025
Happy Fourth of July! Today is the perfect time to celebrate our national symbol and reflect on the care we provide to protect it. 🦅 💚
Memphis Zoo is home to three rescued bald eagles, named Sue, Nash, and Freedom, who live in our Northwest Passage exhibit through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each eagle was injured in the wild and could not return to its natural habitat. Today, they serve as powerful ambassadors for their species.
In addition to our trio on exhibit, we also care for many other bald eagles that are not on exhibit. Since 1984, our team has worked to rehabilitate and release bald eagles across Tennessee. In the last year alone, eight eagles have been released back into the wild through our program.
When an eagle arrives at our animal hospital, it receives thorough physical exams, radiographs, bloodwork, and flight readiness assessments. An eagle must be able to hunt and survive using flight, talons, and acute vision before it can be released. From there, each eagle receives individualized care tailored to its recovery. One example is Big Momma Martha Washington, pictured second, who is healing after being struck by a vehicle.
Some injuries are easy to see, like broken wings. Others are internal, like poisoning. The final two images show radiographs taken at the Zoo that reveal ammunition fragments inside a bald eagle. This happens when eagles scavenge animals that are shot with lead ammunition. It is a serious but treatable threat we see all too often, along with window strikes, ballistic injury, severe weather, and being ejected from the nest.
We are proud to care for these incredible birds and continue our work to protect their future in the wild.
