Louisville Zoo’s iconic bald eagle has died

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Louisville Zoo staff is dealing with the loss of one of their bald eagles, Sequoia .

Sequoia has lived at the Louisville Zoo since 1985, after rescuers found him in the wild with a broken wing, according to the press release. The injured wing was later amputated for him to survive.

“In his 36 years with us, he was a terrific animal ambassador for his iconic species teaching guest about the value and beauty of birds of prey and predators,“ Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney said. “The American bald eagle has also been a triumphant conservation recovery story. When Sequoia came to the Zoo in the mid-80s, bald eagles were considered endangered. In 2007 bald eagles were delisted when their numbers had increased due to successful conservation efforts that included banning of pesticides like DDT.”

Prior to his death, Sequoia shared the zoo’s exhibit with Shelby, another rehabilitated bald eagle.

“Though bald eagle populations have recovered, many are still found every year that are injured (some causes include vehicle collisions and power line electrocutions), need rehabilitation and reintroduction back to the wild,” Louisville Zoo bird curator James McKinney said. “The ones that may not be candidates for reintroduction because of the severity of their injuries may find homes in zoos or education facilities where they are safe and can help educate and inspire the public to be good stewards of their environment.”

Sequoia was estimated to be over 40-years-old.