As heavy storms rippled through Pennsylvania recently, wildlife rescues like Raven Ridge Wildlife Center (RRWC) received an influx of calls for help. One of those calls came from a local homeowner who, after assessing the damage on their property, had
made an alarming discovery.
“[T]wo nestling hawks … had been found on the ground after several large trees fell in the finder’s yard,” RRWC wrote on Facebook.
The nestling hawks, who looked like two little puff balls from afar, were in a precarious position. The tree their nest was in had crashed to the ground. Luckily, the babies were uninjured by the fall and landed in the perfect place to be found.
“Thankfully, they were discovered in time, as they were small enough that their large nest could have hidden them, and they might not have been found,” RRWC wrote.
The folks at RRWC guided the homeowner through the process of picking up the babies and carefully placing them in a box for transportation. They agreed to take in the nestlings, but with the babies needing immediate attention, RRWC had the homeowner drive them to a closer wildlife rescue, West Shore Wildlife Center (WSWC), first.
“It was urgent to get the hawks out of the storm and to the nearest rehab facility for evaluation and stabilization, as they were unable to maintain their body heat on their own and needed to be [placed] in an incubator,” RRWC wrote.
The babies recovered at WSWC for a bit, until they were strong enough to be transported to RRWC once and for all.
“[F]ortunately, the two hawks had no injuries and were transferred to our facility for continued care until they are ready to be released,” RRWC wrote.
You can see more images of their rescue here:
The little hawk siblings are now receiving around-the-clock care at RRWC and are on track to make a full recovery. Their release back into the wild will be a momentous day for the RRWC staff, who continue to spread awareness in their communities about rescuing wildlife after windstorms.
“As cleanup continues and fallen trees are being cut apart and removed, please keep an eye out for anything that resembles a large clump of sticks, light-colored fuzz, or even the sounds of peeping or chirping coming from the debris,” RRWC wrote.
After such a devastating storm, it was a miracle that these little babies were found just in time. As RRWC sees it, the homeowner’s timely discovery and swift response ultimately saved their lives.
“Time is critical for some of these animals, and getting them to a licensed rehabilitation center could be a matter of life or death,” RRWC wrote.
