Rob:  Now for an update; last year we took you to a one-of-a-kind facility where injured eagles are given the hope to fly once again.  It’s a program run by Oklahoma’s Iowa Tribe.  And as our Alisa Hines shows us, since we first visited them, their success has taken flight.
Alisa:  Even though the American bald eagle is protected by law, man is still its worst enemy.
Victor Roubidoux:  A lot of the injuries, unfortunately in Oklahoma, come from gunshots.
Alisa:  Victor Roubidoux is the wildlife manager for the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and says, there is now a place for these injured eagles.
Roubidoux:  It’s a sanctuary for non-releasable eagles and we hold those under our religious use permit, and then we also do rehabilitation of eagles.  And we take in an injured eagle, get’em well, and then hopefully, they’ll be released back into the wild.
Alisa:  Called the Bah Kho-Je Xla Chi, the sanctuary provides for the eagle’s every need, and that’s not always a fun job.
Roubidoux:  Our rats we get from Arkansas, that are donated to us.  And just like I said earlier, we have to clean that, because all raptors, even the vulture won’t eat the lower intestines.  So we go ahead and clean them out.  It’s easier to do that when we clean their food than, like I said earlier, picking them off the, off the wall.
Alisa:  If you think that’s gross, you ought to smell them, whew!  But it’s all part of feeding the eagles a natural diet.  A diet designed to help when it comes time to release them back into the wild, like this one.
Roubidoux:  We were able to condition this bird and get is well back, so it could be released today.  And it’s the second bird that we have released from our facility.  
Alisa:  Now victor says where they release the birds is very important.
Roubidoux:  We needed to release this bird near other eagles, and we know that there’s other eagles that roost around here, that feed.  And they’re very social, so it’s very important that we release them near other eagles.  So it was a great moment here, a while ago, when we did that, to see that bird go back out where it belongs, back out in the wild.
Alisa:  To hopefully find a mate.  Now there’s a special reason the Iowa Tribe wants to help the eagles.
Roubidoux:  For us, the Iowa’s and our culture, and I’ve been told, that the eagle is the only one that has seen the face of God.  And so it’s very important for us to do rehabilitation, so we can get these birds well, release them back into the wild, and maybe they’ll let the Creator know we did a good job, and then He’ll bless our people for us.
Alisa:  And the eagles also return the favor by supplying the tribe with eagle feathers, when they molt.  Now in most instances, it’s illegal to possess the feather of an eagle, but Native Americans are issued special permits to allow them to use the feathers for religious practices.
Roubidoux:  They use them for, in our ceremonies, religious ceremonies, they use the feathers and the fans, to make fans.  A lot of the dance ceremonies they use the feathers for their costumes.
Alisa:  Creating a winning situation for both man, and bird.
Rob:  Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room at the refuge for all the eagles that actually need help; so some have to be euthanized.  But you can help.  To learn more, just head to our website at OkHorizon where we have a link to the facility, from today’s story.
Rob:  Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room at the refuge for all the eagles that need help, so some have to be euthanized.  But you can help.  To learn more, just head to our website at OkHorizon.com where we have a link to the facility from today’s story.