Sequoia Park Zoo eagle Cheyenne dies at 16, staff and community mourn

Sequoia Park Zoo announced on Jan. 15 that Cheyenne, a bald eagle who served as an ambassador animal since 2014, died of heart failure. Found after a vehicle strike and rehabilitated before joining the zoo in 2014, Cheyenne lived for at least 16 years under the care of zoo staff and volunteers.

Cheyenne was a familiar presence at Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, noted for a temperament that enjoyed quail and evening baths. As a nonreleasable raptor, she played a sustained role in the zoo’s educational programming, appearing in outreach, school visits, and on-site interpretive talks that connect Humboldt County residents and students to local wildlife and conservation issues.

The immediate impact is both emotional and practical. Ambassador animals like Cheyenne are central to community engagement: they help attract visitors to exhibits and programs, support membership and donation drives, and enhance curriculum-aligned school visits. For a small regional institution, the loss of a long-term ambassador can reduce program capacity in the short term and shift staff time to reassigning educational duties and caring for other animals.

Cheyenne’s history also highlights an ongoing local and regional challenge: wildlife vehicle strikes. Road collisions are a common cause of injury for raptors and other wildlife in Humboldt County’s mix of rural highways and coastal routes. The trajectory from injury to rehabilitation to permanent placement in a zoo reflects the resource-intensive chain of veterinary care, transport, and long-term husbandry. Those costs are typically covered through a mix of zoo operating budgets, grants, and public support, so the death underscores the financial as well as cultural value of preventive measures and investment in rehabilitative capacity.

Policy and management implications include bolstering roadside mitigation where collisions are frequent, supporting licensed wildlife rehabilitators, and ensuring funding for veterinary care at regional institutions. For Sequoia Park Zoo, replacing or supplementing ambassador programming will likely require planning that balances animal welfare, permitting requirements, and community expectations.

The zoo’s notice includes a short remembrance and contact information for community members seeking more details or wishing to express condolences. For Humboldt residents who have relied on Cheyenne as an educational touchstone, her passing is a reminder of the tangible ties between local wildlife, public education, and conservation funding. In practical terms, expect temporary shifts in school programs and outreach events while staff adjust and consider long-term plans for ambassador animals and community engagement.