Opie is a juvenile golden eagle that came to the center as a young orphan. Helpless and unable to feed himself; Arizona Raptor Center did what they do best and now Opie is healthy, strong and learning to fly and hunt for his own food! Falconry techniques allow otherwise destitute raptors to have a chance at survival and self sufficiency. Soon, Opie will be able to provide for himself successfully in the wild and will go on to continue building the Golden Eagle population!

THE GOLDEN EAGLE

Wingspan: 6ft to 7.5ft

Weight: 6lbs to 14lbs

Range: Mostly Western USA

Habitat: Open country, grasslands, plains, desert.

Diet: CottonTail, Jack Rabbits, Coyote, small mammals.

The golden eagle is the second fastest animal in the world! Second to the peregrine falcon (280mph), the golden eagle tops out at 200mph! Like other hawks, golden eagles will take their prey in direct pursuit, but these speeds come from their other method of hunting: stooping from high altitudes over 5000'! Golden Eagles have been known to soar over 10,000' altitude, riding thermals on warm days.

Aren't eagles amazing?!

Opie is just one of many amazing raptors that arrive in rough shape at the center. We need your help to keep turning sad stories into happy endings! Volunteer falconers are dedicating their personal time and finances to be able to rehabilitate, train to hunt and successfully release these raptors.

Can you run a marathon the day they take the cast off your broken leg? Absolutely not! Neither can a raptor hunt to feed itself after extended periods in rehabilitation. After being a patient in recovery for an extended period of time, raptors will experience muscle atrophy. That is where falconers come in! Falconry, the hunting of game with a raptor, is an ancient art (over 4000 years old!) and a demanding life consuming passion. Falconers are experts in raptor husbandry, training, physiology, nutrition and fitness; these falconers act as fitness coaches and physical therapists to rebuild muscle mass through high level training exercises, operant conditioning and free flying before moving on to hunting their natural quarry. Once a raptor is exceptionally fit, and successfully hunting wild game, the raptor is ready to be free again!

Please consider making a tax deductible donation to Skywolf Inc's fundraiser for Opie.

SKYWOLF INC. (Raptor Education)

EIN: 84-3873506

For more info about raptor rehabilitation please visit:

www.ArizonaRaptorCenter.com