BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. — For the past 77 days the Peace River Wildlife Center has been rehabbing a Red-shouldered Hawk.
Watch as Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley captures the moment the Peace River Wildlife Center released the hawk in Babcock Ranch:
On Feb. 6, a Red-shouldered Hawk was brought to the Peace River Wildlife Center with a broken wing and was in serious condition after likely being hit by car on Bermont Road.
The hawk was in such bad shape; the hospital staff didn’t think the hawk would make it past the first 12 hours.
But after weeks of care and rehab, it was once again returned to the wildlife not far from where it was found in Babcock Ranch on Wednesday.
Shipley asked PRWC Wildlife Hospital Manager and Lead Rehabber Cassie Tessier about what we can do to help our raptors here in Southwest Florida. She says 80% of the time, the injuries they see are related to humans.
“When you think let me throw my apple out the window and its fine biodegradable, something is going to eat it,” said Tessier. “But you don’t realize that the apple brings a mouse, and the mouse eats the apple. Then the Red-shouldered Hawk says oh look there is mouse to eat. And they don’t see the car coming, and they get hit by the car."
As for the Red-shouldered Hawk released Wednesday, the Peace River Wildlife Center says its natural instincts will take over now it's back in the wild. The Center says the hawk should not have any lasting impacts from its injuries.
