WATCH – Bald Eagle Adopts Eaglet After Caring for Rock: ‘A Single Dad Rewarded for His Efforts’

A bald eagle in the care of a Missouri sanctuary has wanted to be a father for a long time, and his wish finally came true.

Murphy is now fostering an eaglet after he tried to incubate a rock in March when he found it inside his enclosure, Fox News reported Monday.

In a social media post, the World Bird Sanctuary shared a timeline of Murphy and the baby eagle’s journey together along with a photo of the rock:

World Bird Sanctuary CEO Dawn Griffard told Fox that Murphy, who is 31 years old, was brought into the organization’s care 30 years ago after being hurt in the wild.

More recently, the bird was seen protecting one area of his enclosure and did not like it when people approached. He also built a nest around the rock he found.

Griffard noted it was not uncommon for bald eagles to find and incubate objects in springtime when the creatures’ hormones reach higher levels.

“It’s not unusual for a male bald eagle to do this because, in the wild, the male and the female take care of the nest and the eaglets equally,” she explained.

Per the Audubon website, at least one of the bald eagle parents stays with their young from the moment they are born and into their first few weeks of life.

Although Murphy has been unable to hit it off with a female, he did want an eaglet of his own. He was looking after his rock on April 3 when a storm knocked an eagle’s nest out of a tree near St. Louis.

One of the chicks nesting inside survived the ordeal and was brought to the sanctuary where it was paired with Murphy.

Now, Griffard said the baby was mirroring its father and following behind him. Video footage shows the pair enjoying quality time together:

The story has deeply affected the hearts of those working with the birds and others following their progress.

“It’s about a single dad that has worked so hard and was rewarded for his efforts,” Griffard explained, adding the eaglet will be released once it is fully grown.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs noted that “The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782, when it was placed with outspread wings on the Great Seal of our country.”

For generations, bald eagles have been considered by many people to represent strength, courage, freedom, and immortality.