The Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo treats and cares for more than 600 raptors and birds every year.
That’s a lot of mouths to feed.
REGI Founder and Executive Director Marge Gibson says an eagle can eat up to three pounds of food at a time.
“Right now, we have 34 eagles here on site getting ready for release. They’re in the flight building and various stages of rehabilitation, but they all have to eat every day so we do go through an awful lot of food,” said Gibson.
REGI is asking hunters to donate hearts from deer they harvest.
“The heart of animal is all muscles and it doesn’t have fat. That’s excellent for our birds because they really don’t metabolize fat very well.”
REGI x-ray’s all the hearts in case hunters used lead bullets. They’ll discard any hearts with lead bullet fragments.
There are drop off sites for the hearts in Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Marathon Counties.
You can find a site closest to you on REGI’s website.
