At the Raptor Show

Our other favorite part of Lone Pine Sanctuary was the raptor show. They brought out a beautiful, snowy white barn owl that flew silently over the crowd and a wedge tailed eagle that dwarfed his human handler (both below). We also saw a peregrine falcon (above) touring the grounds while he enjoyed his raw chicken lunch. All of the birds at Lone Pine had been rescued and rehabilitated but weren't fit to be released into the wild. The eagle had been hit by a car, and the falcon had injured his shoulder colliding with a phoneline mid-dive. A peregrine can reach speeds of up to 200 mph as it dives toward prey, earning it the title of fastest animal on Earth.