Editorial: Eagle chicks bring welcome respite worldwide

The popularity of animals on the internet is nothing new. From cats popping out of boxes to miniature goats frolicking in pajamas, the viral videos tend to spread faster than the flu.

Make them about baby animals, and the speed increases with the cuteness factor. Everyone loves a puppy, a newborn bunny, an adorable duckling.

So it isn’t surprising that the cameras focused on the bald eagles nesting in the Hays area of Pittsburgh are a popular draw as this year’s chicks hatch. The first came Monday, with a younger sibling making an appearance Tuesday morning.

What does grab attention is not just how many people are watching — more than 542,000 unique viewers, according to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and PixCams, which sponsors the webcams — but how far the interest reaches. The 1.8 million views have come from 50 countries.

At a time when there’s a legitimate argument for the world going to the dogs, people all over the world are taking a beat, taking a breath and watching baby eagles in Southwestern Pennsylvania break out of their shells and open their eyes to life.

It might just speak to the millions of birdwatchers out there. It might be about school kids observing the process for a science class.

But it also might be about a moment of peace while we are bombarded with the developments of war in Eastern Europe. It might be a necessary minute of self-care and mind-clearing amid the never-ending drumbeat of political clashes. It might be just a little bit of hope as we try to emerge from two years of coronavirus pandemic response like we have broken out of shells ourselves.

It’s easy to understand. The majestic birds have commanded attention locally for years, giving people a way to follow nature from a safe and respectful distance.

It comes at a time when donations from the area are heading to the other side of the globe to aid in the humanitarian relief for Ukrainian refugees fleeing from Russian missiles and incoming troops. At the same time, we are struck by images of bombed hospitals and children sheltering in subway stations or shopping malls.

It’s a complicated crisis, and sometimes it seems as though there is little that we can do except wait and watch and learn what we can about the unfolding drama.

But there is something unifying and beautiful in the fact, that in countries all over the world, people are taking the same pause to marvel at baby birds being born in our backyard.