The bald eagle, a bright star of the Minnesota Trail, died July 3, 2024. As an ambassador for her species, the female bird made her home here since 1998.

She was found in Wisconsin in 1997 suffering from a fracture of her left wing, an injury to her right wing, and lead poisoning. At the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, she had two surgeries and chelation, a treatment to remove lead from the blood. Unfortunately, she was not able to regain her ability to fly and could not be returned to the wild.

She came to the Minnesota Zoo the following year and helped convey a remarkable success story of the Endangered Species Act. Under the law’s protections, eagles have flourished after pesticides and hunting had brought them to the brink of extinction.

Due to health concerns, she was humanely euthanized. She was at least 28 years old, though because she was found as an adult, we cannot be certain of her age. Notably, she never lost the partially brown feathers on her crown. It typically takes four years for a juvenile bald eagle to develop the white head feathers that are a hallmark of the species.

Her care team remembers her as a very special raptor who was responsive and easy to work with. She was very vocal, recognizing and calling out to her caregivers even when they were out of uniform. Though non-flighted, she was active throughout her life at the Minnesota Zoo. Guests may have seen her sunbathing in her habitat or hopping along the ground.

Thank you to the millions of guests who visited her over the last 25-plus years and appreciated her not just as an emblem of the United States but a powerful symbol of how we can all help save wildlife.