Decorah Live Eagle Cam Gains International Attention

It seems everyone is glued to their computers watching along as two eagles prepare for three baby chicks to hatch.

The scene near Decorah  is unfolding on a live web cam.

At times, tens of thousands of people are watching. It's part of the Raptor Research Project.

This has been the scene since the eagle laid the eggs back in February.

The chicks are expected to hatch any time now.

It started as a way for Bob Anderson to get video of eagles for a documentary.

At first, only Anderson's friends were interested. Then he teamed up with U- Stream to broadcast the scene live on the web. Suddenly, the world fell in love.

Anderson said, "It's getting huge. I mean it was on CNN and NPR "

Jim Womeldorf said, "they talk about things going viral. It certainly has become that. It's increasing by like twice as much everyday now. "

The live eagle cam website has already had about seven million hits. As many as 50-thousand people have been logged in at one time.

Womeldorf said, "it certainly puts Decorah on the map."

It's been viewed in more than 130 countries. And teachers all over the United States are using it as a science lesson.

Anderson said, "This site really has reached a level or curriculum of science learning. I don't know how we could top it. It is unbelievable."

Anderson says it captivates each person for a different reason.

Anderson said, "I have had a lot of people who are old and elderly who call me. They have cancer or something and when they watch this they forget about their disease. "

It's a rare and intimate glimpse into something humans rarely get to see.