Bald eagles soaring to escape extinction

The bald eagle, America's national symbol, is to be removed from its list of endangered species, 40 years after it was on the brink of extinction, officials said yesterday.

The majestic sea bird, which was almost wiped out by hunters and insecticide poisoning, has not only survived but is now thriving.

The interior department's announcement that it is to remove the species from the protection of the Endangered Species Act signalled a major victory for tough federal conservation laws, said naturalists.

In 1963, there were only 417 mating pairs of bald eagles known to exist. Government biologists, however, have now counted nearly 10,000 mating pairs, including at least one pair in each of the 48 contiguous states.

The Continental Congress put the bird on the country's official seal in 1782, although Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey and called the eagle a "bird of bad moral character". The eagle was long viewed as a nuisance and dangerous predator. It was hunted for its feathers, the subject of a 50-cent bounty in Alaska and poisoned in some states.

President Bush said its resurgence should be credited to cooperation between landowners and federal and state governments. "This great conservation achievement means more and more Americans across the nation will enjoy the thrill of seeing bald eagles soar," he said.
Source :http://www.telegraph.co.uk