Eagle Aviary

[JRock]

After all of the growth our beloved school has been seeing, I was thinking how great it would be if UNT built a large Eagle Aviary on Campus. Probably not next to Apogee due to Boomer and fireworks but somwhere near the new union. My family raised and rehabbed exotic birds for the Phoenix Zoo years ago and I've seen some very impressive aviarys. Some even surpassing those found in zoos. What a great tradition this could be.. I love taking my kids to see Mike the Tiger at LSU. Something similar but for Scrappy. Maybe establishing an Eagle rehab facility and program that raises money for exotic bird rehab etc. Something to think about.

JRock

[TheWestie]

North Texas had several live Eagle mascots decades ago, but none of them ever lived on campus. They lived down at the Fort Worth Zoo and were brought up to games.

Scrappy I showed up in 1951, and in 1968 the Talons raised money for Scrappy II and Scrappy III. I'm just going by what I could find in the online versions of the Yucca. Somebody who was around back then will correct me if I'm wrong...

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61020/m1/352/?q=scrappy

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61020/m1/378/?q=scrappy

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61031/m1/13/?q=scrappy

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61037/m1/170/?q=scrappy

[Hunter Green]

Great idea. Time for us to become a big time university and this would only enhance the perception.

[UNT 90 Grad]

It'd be great if UNT at least formed a relationship with one of the area zoos and their eagles. I'd like to see a program where students would study the birds and help care for them. It'd be cool to then see some sort of signage at the zoo by the eagle aviary that called this out.

[UNTstormchaser]

I think this is a fantastic idea. It would be so cool to have something like that on campus. Even for students, the stresses of classes and exams could be eased by taking a quick visit to the aviary to observe some beautiful birds.

[JRock]

All great comments.....I think this has HUGE potential. Maybe RV see this post or someone reaches out to him and other UNT admin.

JRock

[Monkeypox]

The organization you're looking for, as the one that would likely ultimately be responsible for the care and/or research with these animals, is ORCA (Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals). Well, if they're not, they might be able to tell you. I know they work specifically with the Heard Museum in McKinney.

http://orgs.unt.edu/orca/

In terms of local resources/sanctuary for raptors, I believe the most significant is the Blackland Prairie Raptor Sanctuary. http://www.bpraptorcenter.org/ Someone between them and the Heard Museum might be able to work with the University on the project.

NOW, the reality. What you're talking about requires money. A good bit of money. An initial sum to set up the program and then yearly donations to keep it viable.

Universities generally will get money for projects such as this from grants - IOW, they'd have to have a specific research goal for it, write the application/grant proposal, get approved, and get funding. Keep in mind that ORCA is a student organization that receives a lot of their training by working as volunteers, and it's buried in the Behavior Analysis department of the University.

The other way is from donations, many times specific donations because someone went out and found a wealthy philanthropist alumnus who wanted this to be a pet project (pardon the pun). And that's what this is, regardless of whether or not it's a grant or a donation, it will have to be somebody's baby, because SOME DAY someone will look and say "I don't think we need this. I don't want to pursue this or use THIS money for it."

So there are at least 2 University entities that would need to be involved in this, but in the end, I think it will have to be a coordinated effort between the animal behavior people (ORCA), Athletics, and probably someone on the spirit front, as well as an outside animal group (Heard Museum, Blackland Prairie, local zoo, etc.)

[JRock]

Thanks MP......This has me thinking about some ways to help out.....Going to make some calls.

JRock

[Monkeypox]

Thanks MP......This has me thinking about some ways to help out.....Going to make some calls.

JRock

That's really good. Honestly, it will have to be an outside source's baby, because student organizations come and go, professors come and go, and you don't want this to be something everyone loves at first but then grows up and people get bored because it stops being cute like a puppy or Macauley Culkin.

[Monkeypox]

Georgia Southern, FWIW, has an animal sanctuary in which they house their own bald eagle mascot, "Freedom." They'd be a school that might have good information on which to model a smaller program.

http://welcome.georgiasouthern.edu/wildlife/_home

[JRock]

Thanks for the info. I am on it.

JRock

[shaft]

Since we're the Mean Green couldn't we just set up DCTA bus tours to go by Mean Joe's place in Flower Mound.