PERKINS, Okla. (AP) – An American Indian tribe is celebrating the dedication of a new eagle aviary in Perkins.

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma has operated the Grey Snow Eagle House, a sanctuary and rehabilitation center where the new aviary is located, for the past five years.

The Stillwater NewsPress reports that hundreds attended the dedication ceremony on Saturday. The aviary is 150 feet long, 25 feet wide and 18 feet tall. It features 45-degree turns to allow the eagles to be able to practice flying.

Officials say the aviary took four months to build. Funding for the project came from the tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

Victor Roubidoux, the Grey Snow Eagle House's wildlife manager, says the facility has released eight rehabilitated eagles and now is home to 27 eagles.

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Information from: Stillwater News Press,
http://www.stwnewspress.com