Museum Minute: Jade the Bald Eagle

The Draper Museum Raptor Experience will be 10 years old in 2021. In honor, we are featuring the 11 raptors in the program.

Jade is a bald eagle. He is the only raptor that is always on exhibit. He lives in the gardens of the museum. Melissa Hill, the live raptor program manager, said he seems to enjoy when visitors come out. She said it seems to give him something new to look at.

“I actually watched him have a conversation with a golden retriever,” said Hill. “The dog was being perfect. It was sitting next to its owner, and they were looking at him.”

She said Jade stayed close to the exterior of his cage, choosing not to get away from people.

“The dog was just looking at him sitting still. And Jade would turn his head and cackle at him, and then look away from the dog,” said Hill.

She said Jade did this a couple of times so it seems obvious that he was not afraid at all. She said he stays in front of his exhibit all the time.

“We don’t even do anything to try to encourage that really,” said Hill. “But I think he likes to have something different, you know, different experiences, people to look at.”

Museum Minute was a series co-produced with Wyoming Public Media (WPM).