We talked to our state representative earlier this afternoon. We should have our permit approval by tomorrow! They have been concerned about the missing eye of our red-tailed hawk and worried that people won’t understand why he couldn’t be released back into the wild. The concern was that the public would be anthropomorphic because people can survive just fine with one eye or missing limbs and such.
The problem for a raptor, however, is that they rely so heavily on their eyesight that releasing a one-eyed bird severely reduces their chance of survival. Not only do they have no depth perception to catch their prey, they are also completely blind on one side which leaves them easy targets for other predators.
Fortunately, our red-tail was given a second chance; he’s able to help people understand the difficulties of being a wild animal as well as teach them about the important role of predators in every ecosystem. It is a much better message and is more likely to leave a lasting impression when you see a live animal accompany the message.
We’re so excited that they should be here very soon!!!!
