Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes pair of rescued bald eagles

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A pair of rescued bald eagles now call the Pittsburgh Zoo home.

Justice and Liberty were injured in the wild and were rescued and rehabilitated by the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka. But because of their injuries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined they couldn't be released.

The zoo says the bald eagle's recovery is one of America's greatest wildlife conservation success stories, so there will be no need for Justice and Liberty to be a part of a breeding program. Instead they'll sit in Kids Kingdom, looking majestic.

And while the eagles are now making themselves at home in Pittsburgh, their molted feathers won't be allowed to stay.

"As a federally protected species any molted feathers will be returned to the government who will then send them to various Native American tribes for their ceremonies. It is illegal to possess eagle items such as feathers or eggs," said Daryl Hoffman, the vice president of living collections.

At one time, there were less than 1,000 bald eagles in the wild. Today there are over 300,000 in the lower 48 states thanks to a handful of efforts, including reducing the harmful effects of pesticides and pushing anti-poaching efforts. While the bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007, it's protected by three federal acts.

Pittsburgh is already home to several bald eagles, including the ones that have nested along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh's Hays neighborhood since 2013. They're avidly followed on a live stream , though to the dismay of birdwatchers, their only egg failed to hatch this year after it cracked.