Bald Eagle Flew in Baseball Stadiums to US Anthem for 20 Years—Now Sam the Eagle Bids Farewell

Sam the bald eagle with the Great American Ball Park in the background. Illustration by The Epoch Times, Courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Chills purl down the spines of spectators in the crowd at the Great American Ball Park as patriotic tones of “The Star Spangled Banner” echo from a giant boom box, causing tears to well out of the eyes of both Orioles and Reds fans uniformly.

Sam the bald eagle idles high in his crate.