By Pauline Villegas
A photo of the bird went viral on social media after users wondered if it was allowed through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
On Monday, a bald eagle named Clark was seen traveling home after making a special appearance at High Point University’s convocation Sunday in North Carolina.
Twitter user @ElijahWhosoever shared a video of Clark making his way through the TSA checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which has now garnered more than 120,000 views.
Elijah Burke on X (formerly Twitter): “Mans is out here bringing a bald eagle through TSA at CLT Douglas 😂🦅 pic.twitter.com/zQm0Mlt620 / X”
Mans is out here bringing a bald eagle through TSA at CLT Douglas 😂🦅 pic.twitter.com/zQm0Mlt620
Clark was bred at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri 20 years ago in the conservation department, according to the organization’s website. He was initially supposed to be released into the wild, as the species was endangered at the time, the website states, and due to Clark’s feet deformities, he wasn’t able to join his siblings in the wild.
“Clark’s feet would not be properly protected from the cold during the winter, and he would suffer from things like frostbite and loss of toes,” the organization states.
High Point University tweeted its support of Clark after some users questioned why he was allowed to enter the TSA checkpoint
