Virginia wildlife centre's eagle aviary plan sparks $700,000 legal battle

A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Virginia wants to build a larger aviary where injured bald eagles can regain their strength and practise flying before returning to the wild. But the proposed facility has become the centre of a bitter dispute with a neighbouring restaurant owner, turning disagreements over traffic, noise and access to a shared private road into a prolonged legal battle. The conflict involving the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke and restaurant owner Stan Seymour has stretched across several years, with legal fees for both sides reportedly reaching around $700,000, according to The Washington Post. While the centre says the enclosure is necessary for rehabilitating large birds of prey, Seymour has challenged the expansion over its potential impact on the surrounding neighbourhood.Why the Virginia wildlife centre wants a larger aviaryThe Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke is a nonprofit rehabilitation facility that treats thousands of injured and sick wild animals each year. It cares for native wildlife, including bald eagles and other birds of prey, with the aim of returning them to their natural habitats.The centre was established by Sabr...