The record number of  cases in 2006 is in part a reflection of the resurgence of the Bald Eagle population in Virginia.  In 1982, when the Center was founded, it is estimated that there were only about 50 active Bald Eagle nests in Virginia.  Today, there are more than 400.

That growth is a reflection of the preservation and protection of critical eagle habitat, bans on DDT and other chemicals, and the work of the Wildlife Center and other conservation organizations.

The growth in the eagle population also reflects a change in public attitudes about eagles, hawks, and other raptors.  In the early days, the Wildlife Center regularly admitted eagles, hawks, and owls that had been shot.  A key component of the Center's environmental education programs is the important role that these raptors play in our ecosystem - that these birds should be respected, not hunted or harassed.  Since 1982, the Center's programs have reached about 1.4 million children and adults.  Today, gunshot wounds in animals that come to the Center are far less common.  In 2006, none of our 29 Bald Eagle patients had been shot.

Of the eagles admitted to the Center during 2006, 26 came from Virginia, two came from West Virginia, and one special bird came from Florida.

As this map notes, most of the Virginia birds came from on or near the Chesapeake Bay, where the Virginia Bald Eagle population is concentrated.

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