Happy Endings for a Hawk

Nylon netting around feet

This is a story about an injured female Red Tailed Hawk, who was successfully released back to the wild, 3 months after her injuries.

On June 5, 2012, the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic received a call from Clarington Animal Services that a Red Tailed Hawk had been found by the Durham Regional Police dangling from a tree, completely trussed up in nylon netting on Port Darlington Rd. As part of their community services programs, the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic will take in injured wildlife for assessment and treatment. Once the animals are stable, arrangements are then made to have the animal transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation centre.

This hawk was suspended in the netting approximately 10 feet above the ground, and with the assistance of the Durham Regional Police the bird was carefully cut down from the tree. Animal Services then quickly transported the bird to the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic. 

On the initial assessment at the vet clinic the bird was found to be profoundly dehydrated and in shock. Under her feather coverage, she was completely ensconced in nylon netting, that was wrapped around both wings and legs, and across her back, cutting into the skin there. The left foot was so wrapped up that it was swelling up from having the circulation cut off. Flies had laid eggs in the wounds and maggots were starting to hatch. If the bird had not been found at the time that she was, there is no doubt that she would have died by the next day.

The bird was assessed for permanent tendon damage which would have made her unreleaseable back to the wild. The Ministry of Natural Resources does not allow for native wildlife to be kept in captivity, except by special dispensation, and if damage to the bird had been permanent, then the only choice would have been euthanasia. Luckily, although seriously injured, this hawk appeared to have wing and leg function still intact.

The bird was carefully untangled from the netting, her wounds were flushed and she was treated with pain management medication, antibiotics and fluids at the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic. By the next day the bird was starting to stand on her own, and was showing a remarkable improvement. She was then transported by a volunteer to the Sandy Pines Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Napanee for further care. Here the bird had several setbacks during the healing process, but due to the dedication of the veterinarians and volunteers there, she managed to make a full, if somewhat slow recovery. She also received a vaccine to protect her against West Nile Virus while at the centre since numerous crows and birds of prey had died from this virus over the summer.

 



Release



Taking flight

 

Now, three months later, this Red Tailed Hawk has been released back into the wild. She was picked up from Sandy Pines by another volunteer and was brought back to Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic in order that she would be released at the same location where she was found. This allowed her to orient herself more readily within her original territory.

Although a careless human allowed a stray piece of nylon netting to almost cause the demise of this bird, it is heartwarming to see how so many different caring humans worked together to be able to successfully release this magnificent hawk back into the wild.

The release took place on Port Darlington Rd. on Tuesday September 11, 2012.