Entangled hawk rescued from tree by firefighters
Bucking the stereotypical catin-tree rescue trope, Salinas firefighters Thursday safely extracted a very upset red-shouldered hawk that was tangled in fishing line and snared in the canopy above a local walking trail.
Sometime between 8:30 and 9 a.m., a person walking along the trail near Steinbeck Park came across the adult female hawk suspended by fishing line between two large trees and called the SPCA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center for help.
Upon arrival at the scene, wildlife technician Alexis Evripidou knew she was going to need backup because the bird was impossible to reach without specialized equipment, according to the center’s content and education manager Dawn Fenton.
“The fire department got out there between 9:30 and 9:45, and it took about 45 minutes for them to kind of get in the right position to actually be able to get up there to her,” Fenton said.
Using a truck and ladder, the fire crew was able to safely and gently bring the tangled raptor down to Earth, where it was whisked away to the SPCA’s Salinas clinic for and a checkup and overnight evaluation.
“We are pleased to have been able to capture this bird for further care and rehabilitation,” the Salinas Firefighters Association posted on social media Thursday.
The bird appeared healthy and wasn’t very skinny or dehydrated, Fenton said.
“She didn’t have any broken bones. She’ll probably just have a bit of a sore shoulder from hanging by her wing like that,” she said.
And after being declared physically fit Friday morning, the hawk successfully was released back into the wild near where it was found.
“She flew away beautifully,” Fenton said.
It’s unclear how she became caught up in the fishing line.
“We do see it from time to time, birds tangled up in trash or fishing line or twine,” Fenton said. “We do really want to encourage people to clean up after themselves.”