September 2 was a day that the dedicated monitors of the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans (BEPR) won’t soon forget.
After weeks of eager anticipation, with monitors keeping a close eye on the nest, Juve24 eventually took to the sky shortly after 08:00 on Monday morning.
“We’ve been kept in utter suspense for weeks now,” says BEPR committee member Dougie Crewe. “Monitors are extremely relieved, partly because this means they can get some rest again. We’ve been here day in and day out in the hope of seeing the juvenile eagle fledge.”
As luck would have it on Monday there were only three monitors present.
“There was a whole bank of photographers waiting with bated breath on Sunday, but it was not to be.”
• Also read: WATCH: Roodekrans Black Eagle chick prepares to take flight
Dougie adds that when the big moment finally arrived, they were almost – but not quite – caught off guard.
“Juve24 has been jumping up and down in the nest and stretching its wings as if it was about to take off for days now. We knew it could happen at any moment.
“Monitor Mohammed Jinnah had just thrown in the towel for the day and was making his way down the stairs back to our monitoring station at the foot of the hill when the eaglet suddenly took to the sky.
“Incidentally, I made a joke in the vein of the eaglet taking off just as Mohammed stopped looking, and that is exactly what happened.
“Luckily John Leroy was at the ready behind his camera when the big moment arrived.
“It is truly a privilege to witness the first time a magnificent animal like a black eagle takes to flight.”
Dougie has once again urged residents to come and spend some time at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.
It is the ideal place to unwind, take in some of the beautiful natural scenes, and spend some time with the family.
“While you are here, come and pay a visit to the BEPR monitors for a chance to see the eagles up close through their high-powered lenses.”
