WITH temperatures soaring to 30 degrees this week, everyone is finding it difficult to cope with the heat – including Liberty, an American bald fish eagle. The pampered bird of prey, who has lived at the Butterfly and Wildlife Park in Long Sutton for 12 y

WITH temperatures soaring to 30 degrees this week, everyone is finding it difficult to cope with the heat - including Liberty, an American bald fish eagle.

The pampered bird of prey, who has lived at the Butterfly and Wildlife Park in Long Sutton for 12 years, has to be cooled off by his keeper.

In the wild, Liberty would cool himself down, by swooping behind the surf at sea and ducking into the water to catch fish.

However, as a heat wave hit the region, falconers have been hosing down the overheating sea eagle twice a day.

Falconer Phil Walters said: "He loves having a shower. When it is raining he will sit out in the rain and he is quite happy."

"On hot days like these he will go up and soar and he will soar in the thermals."

It seems to be only Liberty who is battling with the heat, as other birds in the park are using the sun as an excuse to relax and sunbathe.

Mr Walters added: "They enjoy the heat in their feathers. They will dry themselves out by sunbathing. It will take him about 10 minutes to dry.