Two bald eagles that arrived at the Little Rock Zoo decades ago have died of age-related complications, officials said Tuesday.
The two birds -- 42-year-old Hillary and 25-year-old Leucas -- arrived at the zoo 18 years apart, and both were suffering from injuries when they arrived.
Hillary's age made her one of the oldest bald eagles known at a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to a news release.
Hillary was taken to Little Rock in 1978 suffering from a gunshot wound and tangled in barbed wire. Her right wing required amputation.
In 1996, Leucas joined her also after suffering a gunshot wound that required the amputation of his right wing. He was found on the side of a road and taken to a veterinary clinic before he was moved to Arkansas' capital city.
"[Hillary] and Leucas both lived long, healthy lives at the Little Rock Zoo after being rescued from a tragic circumstance that is all too common for raptors," said zoo Director Susan Altrui. The birds both died this month, the zoo said.
Zoo officials noted that the two "could often be seen in their exhibit sitting next to each other, sometimes nuzzling and sometimes engaged in what looked to be a serious debate."
The median life expectancy for bald eagles at accredited zoos is 16.5 years.
Bald eagles, native to North America, nearly went extinct in the 1960s, but the population has since "significantly rebounded," and the bird was removed from the endangered-species list in 2007, the release states. The raptors are still federally protected.
Metro on 06/21/2017