Meet Kane and Crowbar!
If you’ve visited the Zoo, you’ve likely met a lot of our more than 800 animal residents. Some animals are easy to spot, but others are often not as easy to see because of their habitat set up, their personalities or their sleep cycles among other things. We wanted to start a “Meet the Animals” section of our blog to introduce you to some of the residents that you may (or may not have) met yet!
This month, we’re diving into the lives of none other than our two bald eagles, Kane and Crowbar! While passing through our Wild Florida loop, you may have seen (or likely heard) this duo up on their perches.
Kane has been at our Zoo since 2008!
Twenty-year-old Kane has been a longtime animal resident at our Zoo after suffering a devastating injury to his wing. The then-young eagle was likely shot, as he was found with bullet fragments all along his wing. Unfortunately, the wing had to be amputated, and Kane can no longer fly.
The main identifier between the two is their wings. Crowbar has both of her wings, while Kane only has one.
Crowbar, our 13-year-old female eagle, was found tangled in fishing wire, hurting her foot in the process and inhibiting her ability to hunt with her talons.
Sadly, these injuries mean that our eagles cannot survive on their own and are therefore unable to be released back to their natural habitats. It’s our animal care team’s pleasure to take on these birds and give them fulfilling, abundant lives at our Zoo!
Each eagle is given a variety of enrichment opportunities including ice treats, paper, browse (branches and leaves) and a water mister, all of which they thoroughly enjoy! These offer ways for our eagles to play and forage to bring out their natural bird behaviors, which is especially important in the absence of a non-functioning wing or talon.
Since eagles are scavengers, we provide carcasses as a form of enrichment, too!
With voluntary weight checks and “body presents,” we’re able to check on Kane and Crowbar’s physical condition right at their habitat. Our eagles are also crate trained, meaning they can be guided into a crate and shifted elsewhere in the event of a veterinary visit or a hurricane. While it takes some time to gain Kane’s trust, both eagles are intelligent and motivated to train (especially when treats are involved)!
When it comes to their personalities, Crowbar relishes being in the spotlight, boasting a loud and outgoing demeanor. Kane’s behavior is more submissive and cautious, but he quickly warms up to keepers he is comfortable with.
“Crowbar is our feisty lady!” said Christen. “She is very vocal and will make herself known every time she sees one of her keepers.”
Though they are a male and female duo, Kane and Crowbar are simply best friends! Our keepers have never seen any courtship behavior between the two, but they coexist well together. When they’re not scanning their environment atop their perches, the two climb down to bathe themselves and relax in their “tubs” or ponds.
With cases like Kane and Crowbar’s, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the weight of our human actions. Bald eagles have a long history of struggling with not only environmental threats, but also human threats including illegal shooting and the contamination of their food sources. Though eagles are no longer on the brink of extinction, they are still a protected species, and it’s important we respect their space and natural habitats. By doing so, we can prevent life-changing injuries like these and continue to coexist with wildlife.
Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.