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CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Cruise along Mississippi River is an opportunity to see bald eagles up close
A National Eagle Center riverboat cruise get you up close and personal with the country's national bird. "This is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to tour boats on the river," said Jon Borreson. As a boat captain, Borreson has taken his guests every which way on every waterway imaginable. But when he gets behind the wheel of the Cal Fremling in Winona, he knows what's waiting up ahead. "We see an average of 12 to 20 eagles on every trip," said Borreson. "We've got a couple eagles nests that we can pull up underneath and actually see small eagles in it." The scenic eagle cruises along the Mississippi are popular, but wouldn't have been possible just 15 years ago. "When I was a child here growing up in Winona, never saw a bald eagle on Lake Winona, never saw them flying over town," said Ed Hahn with the National Eagle Center. Conservation, habitat protection and the banning of the insecticide DDT are the main reasons for the comeback in Minnesota and beyond. In 1963 there were only about 400 nesting pairs of eagles in the U.S. Now, there are nearly 75,000. It's hard to avoid them. The cruises began in May and will run through October. Winona State University provides the boat, which leaves from a downtown dock. But the college has a partner for these eagle excursions. Later, in July, the two-hour eagle cruises will leave from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. It's the epicenter for these birds and home to raptors who are permanently disabled. And much like Winona, Wabasha itself offers a natural habitat for eagles, a place where their numbers have really taken off. "You see eagles fighting, catching fish, eating fish on the bank," said Borreson. "At certain times of the year there are literally hundreds of eagles." It's a far cry from the past, with a chance to soar to new heights in the future. "There's a wonderful and inspiring story behind the bald eagle's recovery from the brink of extinction and we just hope to basically build on that legacy of success and have people really take care of the environment. That is our number one goal," said Hahn. For more information on how you can book a cruise, we've put a link on our website, click here.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida man risks alligator encounter to save struggling bald eagle
A Florida man is being called a hero after swimming into a gator-inhabited lake to rescue a struggling bald eagle - and the dramatic moment was caught on camera. Doug Hay, 69, of Lakewood Ranch, heard a splash on April 19 and spotted a bald eagle flailing in the middle of the lake behind his home. He knew the water was home to at least one 7-foot alligator - but he didn't hesitate. "I saw the eagle smack in the middle of the lake," Hay told FOX 13 Tampa Bay. "And I knew that gator was in there." Despite the risk, Hay swam the 100-yard stretch, reaching the eagle, which immediately clamped onto his arm with its talons. Exhausted, Hay barely made it back to shore, where his wife captured the rescue on video. Justin Matthews, a local wildlife trapper, responded to Hay's call. "Doug said a gator went for the eagle - and backed off when he swam out," Matthews wrote on Facebook. "I saw the injury right away and got him to the rescue center. It could've been a bite." Wildlife officials believe the eagle may have been injured during a fight with another eagle seen circling overhead. According to the National Eagle Center, bald eagles can swim using their wings if they grab prey too heavy to lift, but this bird never had a chance. It was found with a serious wound to its chest, possibly from another eagle or a gator bite. Hay said in a Facebook comment that the lake is home to an alligator named Snoop. The Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida is now caring for the injured bird. The eagle had an "open hole" near its thoracic cavity and will take weeks to recover. Hay, who suffered scratches from the rescue, said he'd do it all again. "It's the symbol of America," he told reporters.
New York Post
27-04-2025
- General
- New York Post
Florida man evades alligator in lake to save injured American bald eagle
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – An American hero risked his life swimming to the aid of America's national bird, facing a possible alligator in the process. Doug Hay told FOX 13 Tampa Bay that on April 19, he heard a splash in the lake behind his Lakewood Ranch, Florida, home. He and his wife went to investigate the noise and saw a bald eagle in the center of the lake, with another bald eagle circling above. Hay believes the two eagles were fighting when one of them became seriously injured and ended up in the lake. Seeing the eagle in trouble, Hay jumped into the lake and started swimming toward it. Hay told FOX 13 the eagle landed 'smack in the middle' of the 100-yard lake, and he also knew a 7-foot alligator lived in the water. According to the National Eagle Center, bald eagles can use their wings to swim like oars if they catch a fish too heavy to lift. However, this eagle was injured, and it's unclear if it had made it so far from the middle of the lake. 4 Doug Hay and his wife saw a bald eagle in the center of the lake, with another bald eagle circling above. Doug Hay/Fox News 4 Hay believes the two eagles were fighting when one of them became seriously injured and ended up in the lake. Doug Hay/Fox News 4 Seeing the eagle in trouble, Hay jumped into the lake and started swimming toward it. Doug Hay/Fox News Hay reached the eagle, which grabbed his arm with its talons. The pair 'barely made it to shore' because Hay, 69, said he was so tired. Hay's wife caught the whole incredible rescue on camera. In a follow-up video, Hay shows the eagle on the lakeshore and says he hopes it will fly off. After a while, when it became clear the eagle was injured, he notified a wildlife rescue. 4 After a while, when it became clear the eagle was injured, Hay notified a wildlife rescue. Doug Hay/Fox News The Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida in Venice is caring for the eagle now, which is recovering from an 'extensive' wound to the thoracic cavity. Hay also suffered some wounds to his arm from the eagle's talons, but he said he would do it again to save 'the symbol of America.'
