A spike of bad news has been on the tube for the past few days: floods in Texas, car bombs in Britain, fires in California, and many others. But what seemed to have missed the headlines is the U.S. national symbol of freedom, the bald eagle, recovering from near extinction.
You see, for over two centuries, bald eagles were killed, hunted, and poisoned. So much so that by 1963, out of the tens of thousands that used to fly in the sky, there were only 417 nesting pairs left in the continental United States. After discovering their numbers dwindling, federal and state governments added the bald eagles to the endangered species list.
On June 2007, the federal government announced they removed the eagles from the list after 40+ years of conservation. Some estimate there are now over 11,000 nesting pairs all over the United States. What's interesting is, roughly about 10% of the population is in my home state -- Florida. Apparently, they love to fish.
As you celebrate our nation's birth this July 4th, be happy to know our official and national symbol stands strong and healthier than ever after 200 years.
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