Looking for a way to break through the monotony of yet another Zoom meeting?
Now you can invite a real-life bird of prey to your next virtual meeting or online get-together, thanks to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
For a $75 fee, workplaces can request an eagle, and for $50, can invite a hawk, falcon, vulture or owl to join the first 15 minutes of their meeting.
It's a program that the center, currently closed to the public during the pandemic, is calling "Raptor Zoomie."
"It just provides an injection of something different," said Julia Ponder, the center's executive director. "You send us your Zoom link and the time you want the bird on the meeting, and they will join in, in their own little square."
The Raptor Center decided to see if they could find a digital outlet for some of their birds after seeing similar programs run by zoos and animal sanctuaries around the country. They tested the concept in internal meetings first.
"We've had a couple of them in on some of our own staff meetings," Ponder said. "You know, it just does something to be able to watch these birds doing their thing and vocalizing while we're going through another Zoom meeting."
So far, Minnesota birds have hopped on to a virtual family reunion, video calls to long-term care facilities as well as corporations and individuals, she said.