The little creatures inside the eggs, mere days from hatching,
aren’t the only ones with eagle eyes. Thousands of people from around the world
are flocking to the website for BC-based Hancock Wildlife Foundation to watch
live streaming video of a pair of bald eagle eggs. Two cameras,
set up near a nest in Delta, B.C., first caught the mother laying the eggs in
February. With the little eagles ready to emerge any time now, more and more
viewers are tuning in, watching for the slightest sign of their
arrival. "We call ourselves eagle-holics because most of us
really are," Karen Bills, Hancock’s project coordinator, said with a laugh.
Bills said the viewers, many of whom are elderly, some from as far away as
Australia and Europe, are watching intently for little cracks in the eggs. As
the expected arrival date has grown closer and closer, Hancock’s website traffic
has grown busier and busier. Bills said so many people have been tuning in that
she sometimes can’t get on the feed. But not all the reviews
have been positive. Some have suggested the cameras interfere with nature and do
more harm than good. But it’s a claim Bills disputes. "I can name you numerous
cases where if the camera wasn’t there, the little eagle would have died." She
said a 10-week-old eagle tumbled out of another Delta nest last year and fell
all the way to the ground. Viewers immediately contacted Hancock and a rescue
crew was on the scene within seven minutes. "The Orphaned Wildlife
Rehabilitation (康复) Society kept him in their facility until he was ready to go
and put on the proper weight." The eagle was eventually released.
The rehabilitation society’s Bev Day, who has been caring for birds since
1978, says the cameras also serve as an invaluable learning tool. "There may be
other people that argue the fact, but I’m really a true believer in them," she
said, "I’ve been doing this 30 years now and I’m still learning."
Some of the eagle-holies have grown anxious waiting for the big moment.
One user on the site’s discussion forum said Friday, "Not seeing any indication
of cracks in the eggs," a posting that was accompanied by a frowning
emoticon. The not-for-profit Hancock Wildlife Foundation was
established by David Hancock, a biologist, filmmaker, writer and publisher. It
aims to promote the conservation of wildlife and its habitats through science
and education. In addition to helping save the animal in case of danger, the camera can ______ .