Unless you’ve been living under a rock (maybe even this rock?) then you’ve probably heard the story by now:
A bald eagle sat on a rock and tried, terrifically unsuccessfully, to become a dad.
But now there’s a new plot twist to the ongoing saga!
It all started with a sign at the World Bird Sanctuary that stated something both funny and incredulous about a bird of prey getting all cozy with a very specific spot on the ground:
Is that eagle hurt?
Nope, it was just a male bald eagle, under the spell of magical springtime hormones, that was making him think he could do the impossible.
Unfortunately for him, nursing a rock into existence isn’t actually a thing.
losing it 😂💜 pic.twitter.com/yYEgMFMRSy
— brooke foster, 2023 edition (@lonesometoast) March 25, 2023
The sanctuary’s caretakers seemed totally unconcerned about the pretend-dad’s behavior.
“Murphy does not need a real egg to feel accomplished!! He’s quite content with his rock, and VERY protective of it! After his spring hormones have run their course, he will get bored and move on to other activities. Poor rock.”
Murphy does not need a real egg to feel accomplished!!He’s quite content with his rock, and VERY protective of it! After his spring hormones have run their course, he will get bored and move on to other activities. Poor rock. pic.twitter.com/aa3CZ4rv5y
— World Bird Sanctuary CEO (@WBSSTL) March 26, 2023
It confused pretty much everyone as to why his caretakers seemed to have more feelings toward the rock!
Lucky for Murphy, his story actually ruffled the right feathers.
The goofy flyboy’s plight went viral because Netizens around the world were both sad and mad that this bird-brained pops might never get a chance to tweet out some really bad dad jokes.
Bald eagles in the wild are lucky if they make it to age 30, which means that as a geriatric 31-year-old Murphy is already pushing it when it comes to having kids.
Sure, there were two fertile females in a nearby aviary he could get friendly with, but they weren’t interested in playing house with the oddball, wannabe dad.
Enter the cute eaglet who just escaped from baby jail!
The sanctuary had recently rescued a baby eaglet who was blown out of its nest by high winds.
Since the wee little one needed a parent and Murphy needed to flex his fatherly hormones, it was obvious what was going to happen next.
Cue the bad dad joke: they hatched a new plan to kill two birds with one stone!
Even though he had zero experience raising chicks, it was decided that Murphy should take over fostering duties.
Move over RockBaby, Eaglet 23-126 is the new REAL baby in town!
And like a good dad, “He has responded to the peeps of the baby, and begun protecting the area.”
Murphy has a permanently injured wing and is unable to fly, which means he will be living out the rest of his life at the sanctuary.
At least now he has a reason to keep on living.
And he can finally tweet out the best dad joke ever, which is all about his own crazy self!
Watch the video below to find out more about Murphy’s journey to fatherhood.
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