VietNamNet Bridge – Undeniably, the eagle is a symbol of power and strength. That might be a reason why many youths in HCMC have developed a hobby of raising and training this meat-eating bird.

A young breeder poses for a photo with his eagle

A breeder identified as Long in HCMC’s District 12 has recently bought an eight-month-old eagle for VND3.5 million. Long says how much an eagle costs depends on a number of factors such as health condition, feather color, length of beak and claws, and gender. A male eagle is more expensive than a female one.

The one Long purchased is an eastern imperial eagle, a large species with sharp claws and long beak. It currently weighs around 2.1 kilos with a wingspan of 0.8 meters. Notably, it can weigh up to 4-4.5 kilos with a wingspan of 1.2 meters when it is 2 ½ -3 years old.

However, a majority of domestically raised eagles lose the ability of hunting preys. Therefore, breeders have to train them to develop hunting skills. This painstaking job requires daily practices and only those having a great passion and love for eagles can do it.

“An eagle breeder must be extremely patient because these birds are very difficult to tame and train,” notes Long.

Moreover, eagles eat certain meat such as mouse, chick, quail and sparrow. Although eagles can also eat pork and beef, they easily contract some oral and intestinal diseases. Eagles eat twice a day with each portion weighing 0.3-0.45 kilo of food, he added.

But most importantly, it is hard for eagles to recover from illnesses because there is no treatment facility meant for eagles. Therefore, breeders have to learn how to take care of and treat them.

SGT