Stern, but do I detect just a hint of a smile? Photo: Sequoia Park Zoo.

Sad news from the zoo this morning. Cheyenne, the beautiful bald eagle, has moved on to that big perch in the sky.

As the zoo shares on its lively social media channel:

Sequoia Park Zoo is sad to share that Cheyenne, the bald eagle, has passed away due to heart failure.

Cheyenne will be remembered as a foodie who loved quail and for enjoying her baths in the pond every evening. Cheyenne was found as a wild eagle who was hit by a vehicle, causing a disability that prevented her from flying. She found her forever home as an ambassador at Sequoia Park Zoo in 2014. She was an excellent hopper and navigated easily around her habitat, which was designed in stair step style for her to access high perching.

Bald eagles do not attain their adult coloration until they are about five years old. When Cheyenne’s injuries were treated at the Teton Raptor Center in Wyoming, she was already in her adult plumage. So although we do not know how old Cheyenne was, she was at least 16 years old, perhaps much older. She will be missed by our staff and community.