CHARLOTTE, N.C. ā There's now more information about a bald eagle that was spotted going through TSA earlier this week at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
According to the TSA, Clark the Eagle, with the World Bird Sanctuary, decided to give his "wings a break and fly commercial."
TSA said Southwest Airlines notified them about his arrival, which allowed them to screen him and his handler. Officials said Clark is trained to spread his wings when going through TSA screenings, which is obvious when watching the video.
The video of Clark and his handler quickly went viral on social media and people had jokes:
- Did he buy the eagle his own seat?
- Cant hear you over all the freedom.
- Does he automatically have TSA precheck? š
- Emotional support eagle
TSA officials said Clark was in a cage before and after he went through security.
According to the TSA, each airline decides whether it will allow an animal on board. What typically happens is if the airline decides to allow the animal onboard, the handler is expected to call the TSA and set up a special screening.
It's unknown at this time where Clark was flying or if Clark had his own seat or was caged during the flight, but either way, we hope he had a pleasant flight.
For those curious, bald eagles are sea eagles that typically get inland via large lakes or rivers. The average adult male bald eagle is about three feet long and has a wingspan longer than 6.5 feet. Females are typically larger than male bald eagles, coming in around 43 inches long and having a wingspan of nearly 8 feet.
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