Eagle Physicals & Habitat Cleanup – Fall 2016
[/av_textblock] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” custom_class=”] November 10, 2016[/av_textblock] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” custom_class=”]
During the first week of November, Dollywood annually closes the park to install Christmas decorations. This offers us the perfect time to complete yearly physical exams on all the Bald Eagles that reside at the park along with implementing any repairs and upgrades to their enclosures.
At this time, the AEF crew gathered at the park to catch all 19 Eagles and bring them down to the park bird barn where the Veterinarians from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine performed physicals. Each Eagle received a complete physical exam, which included obtaining weights, blood samples, and giving yearly vaccinations. They were then placed in holding rooms for the next two nights to allow the crew to work on the inside of their aviary.
The nests are given a complete check-over so any damage observed can be repaired. Each nest is also refurbished with a fresh layer of pine branches placed on the exterior of the nest, and soft pine needles used as nesting materials are then placed inside the nest. Perching branches are replaced and the ground cover is cleared and freed of any potential hazards. When all repairs were completed, the Eagles were carried back to their respective enclosures just in time for the park to reopen.
Michelle Bauer – Avian Operations Coordinator
Beth Parker brings an eagle down from the aviary.
Katelyn Dotson and eagle.
Kayla Jackson cradles an eagle waiting for exam.
Karen Wilbur and Katelyn Dotson restrain the eagle “Virginia” while the veterinarian completes her exam.
Kayla Jackson and Michelle Bauer get a weight on one of the eagles.
The “examination waiting room.”
Volunteer Terry Sherred helps with cleanup.
Joe Chapman, a volunteer with AEF, also assisted with cleanup. A rope helps volunteers navigate the steep hillside.
Madison Abell and Katelyn Dotson refurbish a nest.
Cam equipment, including wires and cables, was examined to see what repairs should be made, along with what needed to be replaced.
Julia Cecere sorts through a tangle of video cam cables.
Laura Sterbens helps with video cam cables, too!