Bald eagle, 31, who sat on a rock and thought it was an egg becomes proud foster father of injured baby eagle
- Murphy, 31, who has lived at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri for 30 years, is now a proud father after protecting the stone since March
- Video posted by the sanctuary showed the bird’s undying sense of devotion to the rock – which it apparently mistook for an unhatched offspring
- Almost immediately, Murphy’s adoration for the stone became apparent – with the gentle bird becoming “fussy” and protective when approached
An elderly bald eagle who went viral for accidentally hatching a rock instead of an egg has been given his very own eagle as a gift — after keepers became entranced by the bird’s determination.
Murphy, 31, who has lived at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri for 30 years, is now a proud father, having dutifully protected the stone since March.
Video posted by the sanctuary showed the bird’s undying sense of devotion to the rock — which it apparently mistook for an unhatched offspring and surrounded by a “simple” nest, staffers said.
Almost immediately, Murphy’s adoration for the stone became apparent – with the gentle bird becoming “fussy” and protective when approached.
It is not uncommon for male eagles to search for objects to breed during the spring mating season, as both males and females are tasked with protecting their nests.
Since capturing the hearts of millions, the bird’s steadfastness has kept its caretakers at bay – making it the “obvious choice” as a foster parent for the two-week-old injured eagle who was brought to the shelter this month.
Murphy, an elderly bald eagle who went viral for accidentally hatching a rock instead of an egg for weeks, was gifted an eagle last week by staffers at Missouri’s World Bird Sanctuary
Video posted by the sanctuary showed the bird’s undying sense of devotion to the rock – which it apparently mistook for an unhatched offspring and surrounded by a ‘simple’ nest
Pictured here is the rock that Murphy mistook for an egg in March – prompting keepers to attack him as a foster father after being inspired by his paternal sense of duty
Murphy, 31, who has lived at the sanctuary for 30 years, is now the proud father of the two-week-old eagle who was brought to the sanctuary this month
“Murphy and his new charge have a wonderful bond,” the sanctuary wrote in a social media update posted Sunday after gifting Murphy the eaglet for the week.
An accompanying video showed Murphy – who was unable to fly for most of his life due to a permanent wing injury – showing his new foster child how to eat.
“Look closely and you’ll see Murphy waiting for the baby to eat. If the baby doesn’t eat right away, he’ll take some food and then the baby will start eating,” the staff explained.
“This is the kind of bonding we’re looking for.”