Hawk Found After Going Missing For 5 Days In Riverwoods
RIVERWOODS, IL — It was a stressful five days for the staff at the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area when an important red-tailed hawk, who serves as an educational ambassador for the center, went missing. Luckily, for the hawk and all involved in his rescue, he was found at the Lake County Forest Preserves.
“We were very nervous about the hawk’s health as the days went by. That is why we asked for the public’s help in locating him,” Nan Buckardt, director of education for the LCFP, told Patch. “After his recovery, he eagerly ate, which makes me think that he likely wasn’t successful in getting food.”
According to Buckardt, the adult male hawk is not releasable into the wild due to a left-wing injury that affects his flight. The hawk has a drooping left wing when perched and an impaired right-hind digit.
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The hawk had escaped from his home when it was vandalized last week. On Tuesday, he was spotted by a volunteer on a 6-foot tree stump. Environmental educators surrounded the hawk until they were able to recover him. LCFP has permits to care for the animal. Buckardt said security has since been added to the area where he lives.
“The hawk, as an education ambassador, provides the opportunity for program participants to learn about ecosystems, biodiversity, food webs and more while admiring an animal that could not survive without our help,” said Buckardt, who has worked for LCFP since 1984.
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