WEB EXTRA: DNR EagleCam Operator Gives Insight On Popular Livestream, Program That Makes It Possible

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- For 10 years, the Minnesota DNR's EagleCam has captivated fans of the majestic bird.

Last Tuesday, the popular livestream -- located in the Twin Cities -- captured its first hatchling of the year. Due to weather conditions making the nest wet and cold, it's been tough spotting the eaglet, which is being kept warm by its parents.

Then, several days later, the second chick hatched.

As fans flock to the livestream to see the eagle family, we thought it'd be great to hear more about the popular animal cam.

Lori Naumann is the spokesperson for the DNR's Nongame Wildlife Program and operator of the EagleCam. She says the livestream is partly an effort to raise awareness about the program.

"Our program helped to increase the population of bald eagles, and common loons and trumpeter swans in this state," Naumann said. "Without our program, a lot of these things, you wouldn't be seeing them in the wild today. So it's a great program."

The Nongame Wildlife Program's mission is to manage, protect and research everything that the name implies – animals who are not hunted. The program relies heavily on donations.

While operating the EagleCam, Naumann has a bird's eye view of the eagles at her fingertips, with the ability to move the camera around, and zoom in and out. And she's seen plenty of memorable sights.

"Some memorable moments, since we have an infrared camera, there have been raccoons that have been pretty persistent in bugging this pair every night. We've been able to capture images of the raccoon climbing up the nest. The female starts screaming and then the male starts screaming in from the darkness, with his talons," she said.

Both hatchlings appear safe, however.

Naumann says the parents' job is now to keep the baby eagles warm and feed them – a lot.

"The chicks are one of the fastest growing animals on the planet. They're being fed constantly. That's part of the reason they grow so quickly," she said.

Watch the full interview in the video above. Donations to the program can be made while filing taxes in Minnesota or clicking here.