BLOOMINGTON - The bald eagle Mathata tore into his meal Tuesday afternoon as Beauty tended to the egg in her nest at Miller Park Zoo. | Eagle cam | Eagle Watch | New photo gallery

With the incubation of the egg nearing the end of the estimated 30- to 40-day period, zoo officials believe the egg could hatch at any time - if it is a viable egg.

Meanwhile Caleb Sorensen, 13, of Bloomington said the recent attention drawn to the eagles has given him a new interest in the birds.

"It's been very interesting," Sorensen said. "I didn't know wild eagles could come into Illinois."

The zoo's female eagle, Beauty, laid two eggs about four days apart this spring, not long after the appearance of a wild male bald eagle that seemed to be interested in her. However, zoo staff noticed one of the eggs missing May 18 and it is unclear how is disappeared.

Sorensen and his dad, Doug Sorensen, were on hand Tuesday for the 2:30 p.m. feeding of the eagles.

The zoo will continue feeding the eagles at 2:30 p.m. until there is "some news about the egg," said zoo Superintendent John Tobias.

While the eagles are usually fed in the morning, the zoo is setting a different feeding time because of the recent interest among zoo visitors in the eagles, said zoo spokeswoman Susie Ohley.

Collin Schroeder, 5, and his grandmother, Louise Savage of Bloomington, had to visit the zoo Tuesday because they had not heard any news of the remaining egg since this weekend.

"This is exciting," Savage said. "We just had to come out and check."

Collin said the eagles were "cool," and he has been following the eagle's progress in the Pantagraph.

The zoo has seen an increase in attendance because of the eagles.

The zoo received 19,565 visitors in May as of Monday. For the entire month of May 2006, the zoo had 15,634 visitors. That means the number of visitors at the zoo has increased this month more than 25 percent over last May.

The eggs were Beauty's first since she was brought to the zoo 13 years ago. She shares the open-topped enclosure with male bald eagle Mathata. The two eagles cannot fly because of injuries.

It is not known if the eggs were fertilized and if so, by which male.

During feeding time, zookeeper Michael Davis tossed four white rats into the eagles' enclosure. The eagles get fish five days a week and rats the other two days. Their food is sprinkled with a vitamin the zoo gives birds of prey.

Tobias said the Memorial Day weekend was the earliest the egg could have hatched, but there are still several days left in the incubation period.

Tobias said in his research he is finding the incubation periods for eagles range from 30 to 40 days. Tuesday was Day 36 since the appearance of the first egg.