So, there was this old bald eagle, just sitting there in his aviary without moving a muscle. Visitors were getting worried that he was sick or something. I mean, who just sits there like a statue for days on end, am I right? Anyways, the sanctuary had to put up a sign to explain that Murphy was not in distress and that he was just incubating a ROCK. Yes, you read that right, a rock. We wish him the best of luck with that!
For some reason, word got out about Murphy and his mission to hatch a rock. How did it get out, you ask? Well, it went viral on Twitter, of course. Because why not? People are just so fascinated by an eagle who thinks he can hatch a rock. Spoiler alert: the rock didn’t hatch, but Murphy still became a father.
You see, the sanctuary received an eaglet, and Murphy decided to bond with it. He was sitting on a rock, and everyone was like, “hey, Murphy, it’s a rock, not an egg.” But in his little bird brain, he thought the rock hatched and now he has a chick. Congratulations, Murphy, you’re a father! Who needs logic when you’ve got birds, am I right?
Murphy has been at the sanctuary for over 30 years. He was brought in with a broken leg, which they fixed up and released him back into the wild. But he came back with a broken wing, and that was it for Murphy. He has been living at the sanctuary ever since, unable to fly or survive in the wild. So, he might as well try to hatch a rock, right?
During the spring breeding season, some birds get a little frisky and try to incubate rocks or golf balls. It’s just a hormonal thing. But Murphy took it to the next level. He was fiercely protective of his rock baby, screaming and charging at any bird that came near. It’s like he was saying, “This is my rock baby, and nobody else can have it!” I mean, can you blame him? The heart wants what it wants.
The sanctuary staff had to move Murphy to a private enclosure because he was getting a little too aggressive with his rock baby. Little did he know, he was about to get a real baby. They brought in an eaglet, but they had to be careful with bonding it to a bird to avoid any human imprinting. They decided that Murphy was the best choice, because he was already showing the hormonal aspects of raising a chick. Plus, he was taking such good care of his rock, they figured he’d be a great dad.
Murphy had never cared for a real chick before, so they had to put the eaglet in a small cage and place it in Murphy’s nest. They monitored the bonding process through a camera, and after about a week, the eaglet was released from its cage. That’s when Murphy really showed interest, and the two of them even shared a meal. Murphy tore apart his fish, but the eaglet’s pile of fish was untouched. But don’t worry, Murphy fed his chick. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s a good dad.
Soon, the staff will start training the eaglet to fly and hunt so that it can be released back into the wild this summer. But people have been worried that Murphy will be sad and lonely when his chick leaves. But according to the CEO of the World Bird Sanctuary, eagle parents know when it’s time for their chick to leave, and they almost kick them out of the nest. So, Murphy will be just fine. He can go back to sitting on his rock and dreaming of hatching more rocks. It’s good to have goals, right?
Serious News: washingtonpost
