A bald eagle in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park

© Kathleen Reeder Wildlife Photography/Getty Image

A species no longer at risk. Protecting endangered species over 5 decades

A rapid decline in bald eagle populations was one of the motivating factors in establishing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (USA). The chemical pesticide DDT, previously thought to be safe, was causing high mortality rates for bald eagle chicks, and many other birds exposed to the chemical. DDT was banned, and the eagles’ numbers began to rise again.