One day, a man named William Ortiz was passing by a busy local highway in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when he noticed something strange nearby.
In the middle of the road, a mysterious creature was lying helplessly. It was obvious that this poor animal needed help, but cars were still speeding past it and no one wanted to stop and see what was going on.
Although he still didn’t know which animal it was, William didn’t think twice, but immediately stopped to help it. Cars were still rushing from both directions, so he had to be patient to be able to reach the place where the poor little thing was lying.
When he finally succeeded in his plan and got to that place, his heart ached from the sight he found there. Without much thinking, he immediately decided to call for help.
In A Very Bad State
In front of William, in the middle of the busy road, a very young, injured red-tailed hawk couldn’t move because of the difficult situation which he found himself in.
Everything indicated that the poor animal was hit by a car and that the heartless driver just continued without even looking at what he had done. Fortunately, William was in the right place at the right time, and quickly called Raven Ridge Wildlife Center for help.
Since they were also located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it didn’t take long for the rescuers to come, and soon, this hawk was safe in their center.
However, when they saw the injuries, they were shocked and felt deeply sorry for this poor, wild creature.
“I just can’t imagine the pain and agony that bird was in,” wildlife rehabilitator Tracie Young told The Dodo.
According to the RRWC Facebook post, both of his eyes were shut, he could hardly stand, he was suffering from torticollis, and had severe head trauma. The injuries were so serious that they did not even believe that the hawk would survive.
However, after 72 hours of intensive recovery, a miracle happened – this hawk could open his eyes and stand on his own again. It was obvious that he was feeling much better and his rescuers could not have been happier and prouder.
Just a few hours ago, this bird’s life hung in the balance, and now he is getting ready for the second part of his recovery, which would enable him to return to where he belongs.
On The Way To Freedom
After the people at the wildlife center assessed that the hawk was ready, Young immediately found an experienced falconer with whom his recovery would continue.
“Falconers spend a significant amount of time training their birds to develop a strong bond and establish trust. This involves teaching the bird to respond to commands, such as returning to the glove or perch. They also work on conditioning the bird’s fitness and hunting skills through exercise and simulated hunting sessions.” RRWC wrote in their Facebook post.
Through this phase, in addition to fully recovering, he would also learn everything he needs to survive in the wild. According to The Dodo, this could last sometime until spring when he is expected to return to the wilderness.
At that moment, everything was going according to plan and the hawk was feeling fantastic. For this reason, RRWC published a video showing the hawk before and after treatment, and the progress was obvious.
It’s only a matter of time before he spreads his wings again.
In the end, we can happily conclude that one life was saved, thanks to the empathy of a good soul who, unlike many others, did not turn his head away from the suffering of one helpless being.
The fact that most members of this species do not even live to see their first birthday makes this good deed even greater.