AEF president Al Cecere squelching E8 rumors! What people misconstrue and get started sometimes.
Found this posted to SWFEC FB:Hopefully this helps clear up a rumor that has been passed around:
Official Statement from AEF President, Al Cecere:
"Greetings to the followers and supporters of SWFEC and all eagle cam enthusiasts!
It was brought to the American Eagle Foundation's attention that many concerned individuals have been stating that the AEF wants to rescue E8 from its SWFL nest. It has also been stated that we are actively asking people to call the USFWS to put pressure on them to let us complete this rescue.
We wanted to quell these rumors and ensure everyone that this is not true. Whatever information that is being passed around must have been the result of a misinterpretation/misunderstanding.
The AEF only considers intervening with wild nests when there is an absolute need or direct imminent danger that is acknowledged by the USFWS. It is always best for an Eaglet to be raised by its wild parents if possible.
That said, AEF is always willing to offer rehabilitation to any bird of prey in need of it, and is always willing to help an eaglet that needs to be rehabilitated and introduced back into the wild in the most non-intrusive way, such as through the AEF’s Eaglet Hacking Program (Eaglet Hacking is the process of introducing an eaglet into the wild with little to no direct human interaction in a natural setting from a undisturbed nesting tower).
Initially, when the eaglet was in danger (due to line wrapped around its ankle) and was taken to CROW for rehabilitation, AEF reached out to the USFWS and offered the services of its Hacking Program, but only if the eaglet needed extensive rehabilitation and would not be able to return to the nest in a timely manner. After USFWS thanked the AEF for their offer and informed them that the eaglet was well enough to be placed back in the nest, the AEF was thrilled to hear that it would not need any subsequent human intervention and is not planning to pursue the matter further unless specifically requested by the USFWS.
The AEF is always excited to hear about the success of any wild nest. We are all rooting for E8 and this newly bonded pair!
Respectfully,
Al
http://www.eagles.org"