Talis the Golden Eagle found her forever home

September 2018

We are delighted to be giving a home to ‘Talis’ a beautiful Golden Eagle which did not have the best start in life.

Keeper Sarah-Jayne Cooke explains “For the first few years of her life, Talis was kept in a kitchen in terrible dirty conditions, totally unsuitable for any animal, let alone a Golden Eagle, not able to spread her wings and fly. Thankfully, the RSPCA stepped in and the owner was charged and disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years. Talis was already imprinted on humans and used to being on the hand, and after being seized she was placed with the Hawk Conservancy, and then with a specialist private carer until a forever home could be found.

We believe she is around 4 to 5 years old, and she has already settled in very well here at the Park. We hope with training in the future she can fly free and join the summer ‘Eagles of Paradise Display’. ”

Curator David Woolcock said “At around 4.4 kilograms, she is the heaviest bird at the Park, and now makes popular ‘Archie’ the Bald Eagle seem quite lightweight at 3.3 kilograms. The keepers certainly need strong arms, shoulders and backs. The Golden Eagle is a very large raptor, and females are larger than males. From 66 to 102 centimetres (26 to 40 in) in length, wings are broad and the wingspan is 1.8 to 2.34 metres (5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in).