A BIRD of prey has given a North Yorkshire tourist attraction a 105g reason to celebration.
The first chick of 2020 arrived at The National Centre for Birds of Prey in Helmsley on Mother’s Day.
A Steller’s sea eagle gave birth to a chick that staff named Rishi after the Chancellor.
The centre hopes that Rishi Sunak’s pledge to pay 80 per cent of staff wages will keep it afloat.
Centre director Charlie Heap said: “There’s not much to smile about at the moment, but I’m not embarrassed to admit I shed more than a few tears of joy when this little chap hatched in one of incubators.
“He (or she, as we don’t yet know) will go back in with mum and dad in a few days time.”
The new arrival is expected to weight 7.3kg when it is fully grown. Steller’s sea eagles are the largest eagles in the world.
The centre is part of a global conservation effort to save the species which is on the red list of the most endangered birds in the world.
The National Centre for Birds of Prey is currently closed and is asking for help in feeding its birds via its website. www.ncbp.co.uk
In the wild, Steller’s sea eagles can only be found on coasts in North Eastern Asia.
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