Missouri Eagle Famous for Adopting a Rock Killed in Storms

The tragic storms that claimed dozens of lives in Missouri last Friday night just claimed another. The Missouri eagle famous for adopting a rock was found deceased after the storms passed.

The World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri shared this sad update this morning on their Facebook page. Here's a snippet of what they said about Murphy, the world famous eagle who gained fame when he adopted a rock in his great desire to be a dad:

"The World Bird Sanctuary is heartbroken to share the passing of Murphy, our 33-year-old bald eagle and extraordinary foster dad. Murphy was found deceased in his aviary the early morning of Saturday March 15th as we checked on our animals after storms and tornadoes came through the St. Louis area the night before. Our veterinarian performed a full necropsy which showed that Murphy had sustained some form of trauma to his head."

The World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park went on to say that they were unable to determine if Murphy hit his head trying to flee the storm or if he was hit by debris.

This is a look back at when Murphy became known as the wanna-be dad who adopted a rock.

One last note that was mentioned by the sanctuary:

"In honor of Murphy's legacy, we plan to name the eventual eagle fostering aviary Murphy's Manor, so that we can continue to remember him for decades to come."