When a volunteer first saw the flame-scarred nest west of Utah Lake he thought there was no way the eaglet could have survived.
Mr. Keller climbed through the scorched landscape on June 28 to document the loss of the nest and unfledged baby.
“There was not a stick from the nest left — not on the ground or the cliff,” Keller said. “I’ve seen nests burn before, but this is the first year I have seen one burn with young in it. They are usually long gone and flying when fire season starts.”
While standing there, taking in the devastation, Keller noticed a set of eagle legs behind a burned tree at the base of the cliff.
The raptor was taken to the Wildlife Rehbilitation Center of Northern Utah where it was nicknamed “Phoenix”.
(READ the story in the Salt Lake Tribune – Watch the video below from KSL)