Last month the city council of Homer, Alaska voted to ban a bald eagle feeding program after nearly thirty years. The ban goes into effect on June 1.
The eagles are a chronic problem for the town. The large predators sometimes attack each other over food, and have been accused of stealing small pets from back yards. Some have collided with traffic.
Homer’s “Eagle Lady”, Jean Keene, will be exempt from the ban until 2010. She has been feeding the eagles raw fish every winter for the last 25 years. Back then, five birds would visit. Today, an average of 150 birds come for the feast.
Related Links:
City of Homer
The Bald Eagles of Homer, Alaska
Sources:
Alaska town to bid farewell to troublemaking bald eagles
Symbol of America Is One Town’s Headache
Council gives ‘Eagle Lady’ feeding rights
