One-Winged Eagle Again Takes Flight

Thirteen years after he lost one wing to a hunter’s bullet, a bald eagle named Osceola is soaring again--with the aid of a hang glider. John Stokes of the National Foundation to Protect America’s Eagles, based at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., developed a sling that holds the bird without confining its head, tail and legs. The harnessed eagle is suspended from the 33-foot glider wing, just above and to the left of Stokes. They have made eight flights, some lasting as much as 20 minutes. The wounded bird, then about 2 years old, was found by rabbit hunters near Osceola, Ark. Its shattered wing was later amputated to save its life. Bald eagles can live 30 to 40 years in the wild, or 50 to 70 years in captivity.