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The ability to view the majestic
American Bald eagle soaring above the Land
Between The Lakes is a very popular
form of wildlife viewing.
Prior
to the 1980's, the last eagle nest seen
in Kentucky was in 1949 and in Tennessee
in 1951. Many things contributed
to this disturbing situation.
Eagles do not respond well to
disturbances, land and forest
cultivation, road building, or the
presence of the pesticide DDT. DDT
made the eggshells very thin, and the
eaglets could not survive the nesting
process. As a result of the many
factors, eagles were declared an
endangered species in 1978.
The
Land Between The Lakes Association and
its members and volunteers worked
closely with TVA, State, and US Fish &
Wildlife Service biologists and others
in efforts to introduce the symbol of
America to LBL.
The
project involved raising young eaglets
atop a high "hacking tower" which
isolated these impressionable young
eaglets from humans. This allowed
the young to retain their wild instincts
and to prepare them for their new life
in the region. Their human captors
were successful in their feeding
activities along with distance viewing
to monitor the health and growth of these
young eaglets. This was an
important component for reintroduction
because eagles are known to return to
the same area to nest where they learned
to fly. If LBL were successful in
this effort to fledge a large number of
bald eagles, it was thought that they
would return upon maturity and thus
ensure a future nesting population.
From
1980 to 1988, 44 eaglets from northern
US and Alaska were hacked at LBL.
In 1984, the signs of success came
when a bald eagle nest was first seen at
LBL. In 1999, there were 14 bald
eagle nests counted here
Many
visitors come to LBL for viewing this
majestic bird. We centralize our
assistance to visitors at the Woodlands
Nature Station. The Nature Station
staff organize van tours, boat tours,
and other educational efforts to allow
visitors to safely view these
magnificant birds.
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