Bald Eagles

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In 1782, the bald eagle was elected as the national symbol of the United States of America, yet by the early 1960’s, it was nearly extinct in the Continental United States. A combination of many dangers, with the main danger being the pesticide DDT, the bald eagle was on the verge of extinction. Yet, through conservation measure applied by the United States government the bald eagle cam back from the brink and was taken off of the endangered species list in 2007.
The main downfall of the bald eagle was the pesticide DDT. DDT otherwise known andichlorodiphenyltrichoorethane, would not dissolve in water or break down in the environment. This cause it to be absorbed by small animals or aquatic plants. The contaminated plants or small animals were thereatfter eaten by fist. These subsequent fish were then scooped and and eaten by bald eagles. Now, the higher up in the food chain DDT travelled, the more embedded it became in the animal’s fate. This caused the eagles to lay eggs with weak shells which, in turn caused the population to diminish. After the government found tra...

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