A volunteer wildlife rescuer named Tracy was scrolling through Facebook the other day, when she stumbled upon a concerning post in a local group. A man in Palm Bay, Florida, had found a hawk on the ground who couldn’t fly, and he could tell the bird desperately needed help.
As soon as Tracy saw the post, she advised the Good Samaritan to call the local wildlife alert hotline, but nobody answered. So, without skipping a beat, Tracy got into her car and raced over to where the hawk had been found.
When she got there, the hawk was still conscious, but he was acting unusually.
“The hawk wasn’t moving at all and on its chest,” WILD Florida Rescue (WFR) wrote on Facebook. “She couldn’t see what was going on …”
WILD Florida Rescue
Tracy reached down to assess the hawk further, when something suddenly slithered by her hand. She jumped, realizing she was touching not one but two wild creatures.
“[She] went to fold its wing in and grab it when she saw a snake moving around the hawk’s neck and other wing,” WFR wrote.
The volunteer was shocked by the discovery, but she had no time to freeze. She carefully grabbed the snake and began removing him from the hawk’s neck as swiftly as possible.
“She had to use both hands to gently unwrap the snake,” WFR wrote.
WILD Florida Rescue
It’s unclear exactly how long the snake had been wrapped around the hawk, but thankfully, he was removed just in time. And, despite the scary ordeal, the hawk reverted to his normal self as soon as he was freed.
“When untangled, the hawk flew away strong and fast!” WFR wrote. “The snake appeared unharmed as well and was released.”
Unsplash/Richard Sagredo
The rescuers at WFR try their best not to interfere with the processes of nature, so as not to disturb their local ecosystem. But in cases like this, where a hawk’s mealtime went terribly wrong, it’s impossible for compassionate volunteers like Tracy not to help.
And while she hopes never to encounter a situation like this again, the dedicated rescuer would do it again in a heartbeat.
“Tracy did what she’s trained to do: ‘provide aid to those who need it!’” WFR wrote. “Everyone is gonna be just fine!”
To help wildlife get the care they need, you can donate to WILD Florida Rescue here.
Guy Watches Bird Stand Still All Day — Then Sees Something Crawl Out Of Her Mouth“The issue resolved itself” 😰