Dad, left - Mom, right

Biologists say that we humanize animals by adding our emotions to simple facts of life for things in nature

But you can't tell me these parents don't miss their offspring
The 4 week old eaglet was removed from the nest today and sent to a vet rehab
The eaglet has a nasty growth on its beak that is compromising its ability to eat
It will undergo treatment & hopefully fledge later in July
But by the time the surgery is done and the healing taken care of, the parents will have left the nest
They don't know that their baby is getting great care
They just know one minute they were taking food to a chick and now they have an empty nest and no clue where their baby is or has gone

I don't suppose eagles mourn, but I DO believe they feel the absence, the loss
They sat on a branch near the nest and just looked