Baby Hawks To Be Released Into Wild
August 30, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
NOBLE, Okla., Aug. 29 (UPI) — More than 200 baby hawks saved from heat and drought in Oklahoma will be released back into the wild in September, wildlife rescuers say.
The Mississippi kites were found abandoned after jumping from their nests due to temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, The Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain reported. Rescuers at the WildCare Foundation in Noble, Okla., rehabilitated the hawks with electrolytes and special raptor food after they were abandoned by the adult birds.
Foundation Director Rondi Large says the organization makes sure the animals are not domesticated so they can learn to hunt on their own.
“We specifically work very hard not to tame these animals,” Large said. “We want them to have their freedom back.”
Other wildlife throughout the area has also been affected by the heat. In Claremont, Okla., Wild Heart Ranch Director Annette Tucker says she has treated twice as many fawns this year.
“The animals are coming in this year in much worse condition than in the past,” Tucker said. “We used to look at that as the animal is diseased, but not this year.”
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