NC Aquarium’s Bald Eagle ‘Maverick’ returns to old habitat after being protected from avian flu

FORT FISHER, NC (WWAY) — After spending 6 months behind the scenes being protected from avian flu, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has returned their Bald Eagle ‘Maverick’ to his old habitat.

Maverick has been in the care of the aquarium since 2014, when he was found in Wisconsin suffering a broken wing and unable to fly.

Staff say he was relocated to the Aquarium serving as a symbol of our nation and as a conservation messenger about habitat loss, wildlife rehabilitation and endangered species.

Aquarium staff say Maverick was very happy to be back in his old home.

“He immediately went to the pond to splash around when he explored his habitat,” husbandry curator Julie Smith said. “We left the behind-the-scenes area open for him in case he wasn’t quite ready to venture out. We gave him the choice and he chose to be out all day long.”

While Maverick is expected to continue to remain in his public habitat this summer, Aquarium staff say they will take all precautions this fall during bird migration. If necessary, they say they will tuck him away behind the scenes again to mitigate disease risk from the many birds flying overhead.