This past July, Nancy Nix was enjoying a walk near her home in New York when she noticed a hawk soaring through the sky. The animal lover grabbed her camera to snap a picture for her sister, whom she was on the phone with at the time.
As she angled the
lens, Nix realized something was wrong. There was a second hawk above her head, but this one wasn’t flying — this hawk was trapped upside down, “hanging on for dear life” at the top of an electric pole.
Nix said goodbye to her sister and called several local authorities but couldn’t reach any of them. Eventually, she connected with Bernie C., the director of WNY Raptor and Wildlife Care.
“I immediately went into action, even though I was food shopping for my family,” Bernie told The Dodo.
Bernie followed up with the authorities, who soon got the message and headed over to help. An animal control officer and lineman used a cherry picker truck to reach the hawk, safely untangling her before transporting her to Bernie for further care.
The rescuer felt her heart break as she examined the weary bird.
“She was absolutely exhausted and would not stand,” Bernie said.
Bernie hydrated the hawk, provided pain medication and prayed for the best. The next morning, she was elated to find the bird in much higher spirits.
“She was miraculously standing,” Bernie said. “She had devoured her breakfast.”
Today, the hawk remains in Bernie’s care, waiting to fully heal her injuries. Once she’s ready, Bernie will bring her back to the area where she was found, allowing her to reunite with her family. Finally, she’ll be back in the sky, where she belongs.
