Hawk found mysteriously drenched in cooking oil. ‘Stressful’ process saved its life
A hawk was mysteriously covered in oil in Massachusetts, so wildlife rescuers said they had to step in.
The red-tailed hawk was drenched in cooking oil when it was discovered, according to a March 4 Facebook post from Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable. But how the bird got soaked is unknown, the center said.
The oil posed “severe health risks” for the bird, making its rescue urgent, according to the organization.
Although the true cause of the hawk’s situation is uncertain, the center said the bird may have been hunting rodents near an open vat of cooking oil near a restaurant — which can attract rats and mice — and ended up in the oil instead.
“We’re sure he’s probably regretting his actions,” the center said.
Cooking oil, like motor oil, can be hazardous for birds because it prevents them from flying and regulating their body temperatures, the center said. If a bird coated in oil doesn’t get care quickly enough, the outcome “could potentially be fatal,” according to the organization.
Rescuers took the hawk to the center’s hospital, and staff worked to get the hawk in stable condition for a few days before its “very stressful procedure”: washing off the oil.
Unlike other wildlife procedures, the center couldn’t use anesthesia because the bird’s temperature would drop too low. To calm down the hawk and keep its heart rate under control, staff had to place a hood over its face and give it sedation through the nose, according to the center.
The “lengthy process” involved using hot water and Dawn soap to wash away the oil, the organization said. The hawk was placed in a sink for the cleaning, then moved to a “warming station,” according to the center.
The hawk’s cleanup proved successful because a few days after the procedure, its feathers were “in much better condition,” the center said.
After showing it could move around outside, the hawk was moved to a flight cage outside to test out its wings, according to the organization. It was scheduled to be released back into the wild because it could fly and thermoregulate again as of March 4.
“Hopefully he’ll be more cautious when choosing where to hunt for his next meal,” the center said.
Barnstable is about a 50-mile drive southwest of Provincetown.
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