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Beloved Bald Eagle Murphy Passes Away: A Legacy of Unconventional Fatherhood

The passing of Murphy, a well-known bald eagle and internet sensation, has left fans and wildlife enthusiasts in mourning. In 2023, this extraordinary bird gained fame for nurturing a rock as if it were an egg, only to later embrace the role of a foster father to an orphaned eaglet.

Murphy was discovered deceased in his enclosure at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri. A necropsy indicated that he had sustained a head injury, although the precise circumstances surrounding his death remain uncertain. Sanctuary veterinarians suspect that Murphy’s demise might be linked to severe weather, including tornadoes that struck the area on March 14, resulting in the loss of at least 12 lives in Missouri and leaving destruction in its wake. Sanctuary staff found his body in the aviary the following day.

In a social media statement, the sanctuary noted, “We are unable to determine if Murphy was spooked by something and hit his head while jumping off a perch or if wind and precipitation played a part in the injury.” There were also suggestions that a piece of hail might have struck him, as cited by the New York Times’s Livia Albeck-Ripka.

Despite having weathered numerous storms before, Murphy’s passing raises questions since his three cage companions remain healthy and the aviary showed no signs of storm-related damage. Sanctuary officials clarified that they did not evacuate any birds, as their facility was not directly threatened by tornadoes.

“While we do everything that we can to keep our birds safe, accidents outside of our control can happen,” stated the sanctuary.

Murphy lived a remarkable 33 years, well beyond the typical 15 to 25-year lifespan of wild bald eagles. He first arrived at the sanctuary in the mid-1990s with a broken leg, eventually losing his ability to fly due to a subsequent wing injury, which prevented his return to the wild.

His story took a captivating turn in March 2023 when he began exhibiting nesting behavior by meticulously arranging materials in his enclosure. Subsequently, he started to incubate a rock, prompting the sanctuary to release a statement reassuring the public of his well-being. This unusual behavior sparked widespread interest, and his story went viral, turning him into a beloved figure.

When the sanctuary learned about a young eaglet that had fallen from its nest, they decided to give Murphy a chance at fatherhood by replacing the rock with the chick. “He was sitting on a rock and everybody told him, ‘It’s a rock, it’s not going to hatch,’” noted Dawn Griffard, a former CEO of the sanctuary, in her remarks to the Washington Post.

After careful introductions, Murphy and the eaglet, named Rocky, bonded, and thanks to Murphy’s nurturing, Rocky was successfully released back into the wild on July 7, 2023. In April 2024, Murphy took on another eaglet, showing similar care and affection. This eaglet is also expected to be released in the near future.

Due to Murphy’s unique role, the sanctuary has devised plans to create a specialized aviary named “Murphy’s Manor” to better accommodate eaglet needs, an initiative stemming from their experiences observing him care for the chicks.

The sanctuary expressed heartfelt gratitude for Murphy’s “resilience, spirit and dedication,” mentioning how he had touched the hearts of many around the world by ultimately fostering Rocky. They conveyed that he “brought daily joy to thousands” and acknowledged the outpouring of condolences, with numerous tributes flooding in from the community.

“We could not have asked for a better ambassador and role model,” stated the sanctuary, reflecting on Murphy’s profound impact and the collective grief felt by those who cherished him.

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www.smithsonianmag.com