(MA) The Cape Wildlife Center, a local wildlife rescue center and hospital, is once again urging the community to spread the word about the dangers of glue traps. As has happened many times in the past, the center recently received a patient who suffered at the metaphorical hands of a glue trap. This time it was a red-tailed hawk, who presumably got caught in the trap while going after a mouse or other small rodent. Once stuck, the hawk quickly found himself in a life-or-death situation.
What Happened To The Red-Tailed Hawk?
Thankfully for the Hawk, a Good Samaritan contacted the Rockland Animal Control immediately after finding him stuck in the trap. The bird was rushed to the Cape Wildlife Center’s veterinary team, where it was found both his wings as well as tail feathers were entangled in the glue paper.
Since damaged feathers are essentially useless to birds, affecting their ability to fly and thermoregulate, the veterinary team needed to be extremely careful when unsticking the feathers. In order to do so in a way that guaranteed they don’t shred or break, the team decided to use mineral oil.