Grandfather Mountain's elderly bald eagle Wilma is euthanized

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN (By Monte Mitchell, Winston-Salem Journal) - Wilma the Bald Eagle, who had lived at Grandfather Mountain's animal habitat since 1981, was euthanized over the weekend after a period of declining health. Her arthritis had become so bad that she had to lie down frequently.

She was at least 34 years old, and had come to Grandfather Mountain after being shot and wounded somewhere in the western U.S.

Wilma was the senior resident at the animal habitat at the time of her death. She was unable to fly due to the injury that brought her to Grandfather Mountain.