GIFTS OF AN EAGLE

by Kent Durden ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1972

Lady -- a golden eagle raised and trained by Durden's father, Ed -- receives an affectionate, unsentimental tribute, certainly a generous gesture since the eagle hated the sight of the author, shrieking with rage when he approached. It was Ed Durden who was Lady's true human love and proxy mate; she would, for instance, stand by calmly during the times he would remove her infertile eggs and substitute something outrageous like duck, goose, owl or hawk eggs to hatch. But even a creature of Lady's intellectual endowments (the author includes some impressive examples of problem solving) found dealing with strange offspring a pain in the tail feathers -- eagles with webbed feet, grain eaters, swimmers and those with odd nocturnal habits. Particularly instructive are the accounts of filming Lady's activities for documentaries (Disney and the Lassie series), in which Lady and her trainer must cope with some Hollywood flights of scenarial fancy. After 16 years of ""enlightened"" captivity, Lady flew off with a wild mate -- admirers of endangered wild creatures will be sorry to see her go.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1972

Categories: NONFICTION