Connecticut Woman Shocked By What She Finds On A Hawk She Pulled From Her Pool
After 38 years of experience, the team at Wildlife in Crisis in Weston, Connecticut, thought very little could surprise them anymore. But that changed with one unusual hawk rescue.
It began like many others. A homeowner looked out her window and saw a hawk struggling inside her backyard pool. Worried the bird would drown, she immediately called Wildlife in Crisis for guidance.
The rescue team calmly talked her through what to do, instructing her on how to safely use a net to lift the bird out of the water and bring him to their facility as quickly as possible.
Once the hawk arrived at the center, a bird biologist began a full examination. That’s when things took an unexpected turn.
Wildlife in Crisis director Dara Reid shared in an interview:
“[She] could not believe her eyes! She asked one of our interns to confirm what she thought she saw. They were shocked!”
Clinging tightly to the hawk’s feathers were two tiny tree frogs. For a moment, the team couldn’t quite process what they were seeing.
Somehow, the frogs had survived the same pool the hawk had been struggling in, and instead of slipping away, they had latched onto the bird’s back. Miraculously, all three animals were still alive.
Rescuers believe the frogs were also in danger of drowning and instinctively clung to the hawk in a desperate attempt to survive. Strangely enough, that unlikely decision ended up saving them.
Carefully, the team removed the frogs and released them safely into nearby wetlands.
Meanwhile, the hawk needed care of his own. He was dried off, given antibiotics, and treated for shock as he slowly began to regain strength. Reid explained:
“He was limp and unable to stand when he arrived. After a few days of rest, we were able to put him into one of our large flight cages, where he began to fly from perch to perch, letting us know he was ready to be returned to nature.”
Day by day, the hawk recovered, showing more energy and strength until he was finally ready to return to the wild. When that moment came, rescuers brought him back to the exact area where he had been found.
The transport cage door opened, and without hesitation, the hawk took off into the sky. Reid added:
“Releasing the wild animals in our care is always our ultimate goal. We were delighted that this hawk was able to fully recover and regain his freedom.”
For a team used to expecting the unexpected, this rescue still stood out, not just because of the hawk, but because of the two tiny stowaways who turned a simple rescue into something truly unforgettable.
