Gold & Platinum Level Adopters of Hans:
Matilda Brannon • E. Johnston & L. Riegel • In loving memory of Anita & Al Jacobson • Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District • Jennifer Alexander & Family • David, Ashley, & Simon White • Steven Leone • Dariush Afshar & Lori Adams
Hans was hatched in human care in 2013 in Madras, Oregon. At only 41 days of age, he moved to Haines, Alaska, where he spent many years working as an ambassador at another nature center. He has been a part of free flight programs for years, meeting hundreds of thousands of guests up close. He joined the Cascades Raptor Center team in April 2023.
Hans is distinguished by his extra-long plumicorns (feather tufts on top of his head) and dark orange eyes. In the wild, owls use plumicorns for both camouflage and communication. Trainers can tell how Hans is feeling by how he angles these special feathers.
In spite of their name, Eurasian Eagle-Owls are not related to eagles; the term comes from their massive size.