Justice’s caretakers of three years, Marsha and Shannon Dalan in their final moments with the bald eagle. Marsha Dalan (left) founded Raptor House, a Yakima-based nonprofit dedicated to caring for injured wild birds, in 1988. The Raptor House has cared f
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Justice’s caretakers of three years, Marsha and Shannon Dalan in their final moments with the bald eagle. Marsha Dalan (left) founded Raptor House, a Yakima-based nonprofit dedicated to caring for injured wild birds, in 1988. The Raptor House has cared f
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About 100 onlookers crowded onto Skamania Lodge’s front lawn to watch Justice’s release.
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About 100 onlookers crowded onto Skamania Lodge’s front lawn to watch Justice’s release.
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The Dalans expected Justice to head for these trees once released. (They were right.)
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The Dalans expected Justice to head for these trees once released. (They were right.)
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The Dalans share Justice’s story with the crowd before bringing him out. At two years old, the eagle was brought to the Raptor House with an injured wing, likely the result of a fight with another eagle, and spent three years recovering.
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The Dalans share Justice’s story with the crowd before bringing him out. At two years old, the eagle was brought to the Raptor House with an injured wing, likely the result of a fight with another eagle, and spent three years recovering.
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The Dalans carry Justice through the crowd, serenaded by “America the Beautiful.”
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The Dalans carry Justice through the crowd, serenaded by “America the Beautiful.”
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Once Shannon Dalan opened Justice’s cage, several tense seconds passed before the bird emerged.
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Once Shannon Dalan opened Justice’s cage, several tense seconds passed before the bird emerged.
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Justice barreled out of the box, took a couple of steps, and then took flight.
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Justice barreled out of the box, took a couple of steps, and then took flight.
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Following his brief inaugural flight, Justice alighted in a tree, amid of a cacophony of other birds’ protests. Here he remained for at least an hour. Look really closely inside the circle and you can just spot his white head.
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Following his brief inaugural flight, Justice alighted in a tree, amid of a cacophony of other birds’ protests. Here he remained for at least an hour. Look really closely inside the circle and you can just spot his white head.
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Patriot, a Raptor House bird used in its educational Birds of Prey presentation, stares out at the Gorge and Justice’s empty cage.
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Patriot, a Raptor House bird used in its educational Birds of Prey presentation, stares out at the Gorge and Justice’s empty cage.
Five-year-old bald eagle “Justice”—who has spent the last three years in captivity, recovering from an injured wing—made his return to the wild skies Friday from Skamania Lodge‘s front lawn. His caregivers for those three years, Marsha and Shannon Dalan of Yakima’s Raptor House, carried Justice through a crowd of about 100, serenaded by a moving rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Moments after the final bars bounced off the Gorge’s sun-kissed stone cliffs, the bird tumbled out of his cage, took two tentative steps, and then took flight, white head winking against the setting sun. Tripster takes you inside the evening and Justice’s inaugural flight.
