ROME, Ga. — Two eaglets have died at Berry College, bringing experts and fans that have followed their journey online to search for answers amid a sudden tragedy.
The two eaglets died in roughly a week's time, with the Berry College Eagle Facebook page announcing that the first, dubbed B13, passed on Feb. 22. The second, B12, died overnight Monday into Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, things took a quick turn for the worse overnight," the college posted Tuesday. "As of right now, we do not know the cause of B12's death."
The deaths come as many watched the eagles on webcams set up to stream 24 hours a day from above the nest. Since Berry began the process, the cameras have become a popular attraction for animal lovers online.
But, as the organization pointed out, they also capture the more grim parts of the wild world. Though disheartening to some, researches said they couldn't interfere with nature in this case.
"It is very important now that we do what is best for the eagles and not interfere with the nest," the college posted Tuesday. "If we tried to intervene now, we could risk injury to the eagles, or even risk nest abandonment."
Up until the deaths of the two eaglets, the online community had been watching many heartwarming moments as the mother took care of her newly-born young ones.
The college has since announced that Berry College biology professor Renee Carleton and an elementary school teacher at the college, Lewis Byrne, will answer questions on a live stream Wednesday at 3 p.m. They're welcoming the public to contribute their own questions ahead of the event.
For those who can't watch live, the question-and-answer session will be recorded.
In the days ahead, the college is also warning watchers that some of the actions by these eagle parents - while normal in the animal world - may not be suitable for children "or other sensitive individuals."
