Pair of bald eagles at home in Bronx Zoo

NEW YORK, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Two bald eagles have taken up residence at a New York zoo after it was determined they could not survive in the wild if released, zoo officials said.

The 5-year-old male and a 3-year-old female were taken in by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Wyoming and sent to a wildlife refuge in New Jersey for care and evaluation, the New York Daily News reported Friday.

"The decision was they would not be able to survive on their own in the wild if released," said Bronx Zoo director Jim Breheny, explaining why they now have permanent home at his zoo.

The male bird, rescued in 2008, was believed to have been hit by a car, and the female is thought to have suffered injuries in a storm.

Zoo visitors can get a close-up view of the pair in their outdoor exhibit, part of the zoo's Birds of Prey display.

"You can see their claws, their talons they use to sweep down to get their prey," Breheny said. "You can really get an appreciation of the power and the magnificence of the eagle."

Once declared critically endangered, the official national bird is now thriving and was removed from the Endangered Species list in 2007.