A new, albeit temporary, addition to the Icelandic zoo has arrived in the form of a white-tailed eagle.
Vísir reports that the bird had flown into a power line in Grafningi. The eagle was rescued and taken to the capital to be nursed back to health. “Erna”, as the eagle has been dubbed (Erna is a female name which means “eagle”), suffered from an injured left wing but was otherwise in good shape.
After treatment at the animal hospital in Víðidal, Erna was taken to the zoo in Reykjavík. After being in a wing cast for five days, the bandages were removed within a large, newly-built cage, so she could exercise. White-tailed eagles can weigh up to 7 kilos, and Erna weighs 6.7 kg, so she appears to be quite healthy.
The eagle will be released again to the wild in a few days, so guests who want to come see her should get to the Reykjavík zoo now. Zoo officials ask that guests who do want to visit Erna show her courtesy – eagles are afraid of humans and are easily upset by their presence.
Apart from Erna, there are four other birds of prey being treated at the zoo, all of them falcons. See the zoo’s website for admission prices and hours of operation.
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