The Wildlife Center of Virginia is in the running for a national grant worth $500,000. If it takes the top prize home to Waynesboro, the center may have a trio of baby eagles to thank.
The wildlife center calls them the "Rock Stars" - eagle triplets born at the Norfolk Botanical Garden - in front of thousands of webcam viewers. They came to the center after their mother was struck and killed by an airplane.
Veterinarians are caring for the orphaned eaglets with the goal of releasing them back into the wild this summer. The birds are on a live internet camera that gave the wildlife center 150,000 web page hits in its first five days. That's led to new donors, and a greater awareness of the center's mission.
Wildlife Center of Virginia Director Ed Clark said, "An awful lot of these folks that care about the eagles, understand that it's going to cost us a lot to raise these birds, but they've also come to learn about the other programs we do. For them these three chicks are the world. For us it's three patients out of 250 that are here right now."
Eagles fans helped organize a Facebook campaign that put the wildlife center in the running for a $500,000 grant. It's in third place now and voting ends midnight Wednesday.
The center says it would use the grant money to boost its education programs. To take part in the online voting or to check out the wildlife center's "Eagle Cam", click here.
