Eagle Sanctuary
The Golden Eagle Sanctuary & Education Center
The Navajo Nation Zoo & Botanical Park in Window Rock, Arizona, features a 4,000-square-foot Golden Eagle Sanctuary and Education Center. Known as the largest permitted tribal aviary in the U.S., it houses injured, non-releasable eagles and legally distributes naturally molted feathers to tribal members for cultural and religious ceremonies.
- The Aviary: Opened in 2016, the massive 4,000-square-foot enclosure allows federally recognized tribes to house live, non-releasable eagles in a humane, naturalistic rock and plant setting.
- Cultural Significance: The sanctuary acts as a living resource for the Navajo people. Medicine men and traditional members can receive naturally molted eagle feathers in a matter of weeks, a process that is otherwise heavily restricted and takes years through the federal National Eagle Repository.
- Zoo Context: The sanctuary is part of the Navajo Nation Zoo, which is the only tribally owned and operated zoo in the United States.