Since its formation in 1982, the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines has been a popular exhibit for locals and tourists alike. The Bald Eagle Foundation recently welcomed its newest addition, an owl from Las Vegas . Maia Edwards, the Scientific Director introduces her, “She is a “Siberian Eagle Owl”, and we got her from a breeder in Las Vegas and she’s about 10 weeks old.”
“These owls are native all over Europe and Asia.”Intern Gabe Hallmark says, “That’s why they’re called the Eurasian Eagle Owl, this one specifically is a Western Siberian.” Hallmark is also responsible for the owl’s name, “Ahsoka”, who’s apparently a Star Wars fan.
“During her socialization period right when we got her,” Hallmark reminisces, “I was coming down here for a few hours one night, and of course I wasn’t just gonna sit here, I brought my laptop so I could watch some TV. I decided to watch Star Wars and it turns out for some reason she was really interested in that.”
Ahsoka is still in training and being socialized in order to be used in public and educational settings.
Edwards claims, “She’s just been getting used to us and her new home. She had a pretty long trip getting over here. One of the reasons we decided to get her was that this is a species that’s known to work really well in education settings and work really well with humans. We really want to expand our education program and be able to show more birds to the public.”
Luckily, you won’t have to wait long to meet Ahsoka.
“Once she starts perching better, probably in a couple of months. We’ll put her outside and people will be free to come see her.” Edwards says.
Be sure to stop by the Bald Eagle Foundation to check out Ahsoka when she becomes fully trained, she is worth the visit.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Benner
