During the ’70s, dumping chemical waste in fresh and ocean water was far more common than it is today. The agrochemical residues found in the fishes that feed the mighty bald eagle, as well as its indiscriminate hunting, led to a drastic loss of members of this species. The situation became so critical that the bald eagle joined the endangered species list in the U.S., despite being its national symbol.

After carrying out a recovery plan, the number of bald eagles present in the country rose again. In 1996 the species was already considered to be a “least-concern species” and, in 2007, it was finally taken off the list of endangered species.