'Massive' bird of prey rescued from truck grill by B.C. Mounties
Mounties in Clinton, B.C., rescued a large hawk caught in the grill of a woman’s pickup truck last week.
Last Friday, the woman pulled into the small detachment, which is northwest of Kamloops, to ask for help, Mounties said in a news release Tuesday.
Police say the woman told officers that the big bird had flown out of a ditch and right into her path on Highway 97, south of Clinton.
“Somehow the massive hawk managed to get trapped in behind the front grill of the woman’s Toyota Tundra,” says Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
The bird was unable to escape by itself, say police. That’s when the RCMP came to the rescue.
As soon as Sgt. Brandon Buliziuk and Const. Marika Masters loosened the truck grill, the bird flew away. Police say the rescue was captured on video.
Seeing the huge amount of damage to the grill, officers were prepared to wrap the hawk in a blanket and rush it to an emergency vet, O’Donaghey told CTV News.
“I don’t think anyone quite knew what to expect to happen, and they were in awe of the size of the hawk and its ability to take to the skies so quickly,” added O’Donaghey.
The truck owner, Desiray Barr, posted the video on social media and says she could hear the bird screaming and scratching while it was trapped.
“I was sobbing of course,” Barr wrote on Facebook. “So glad she’s OK.”
A Maple Bay man told police after seeing the video, that the bird was a juvenile red-tailed hawk, a bird of prey well known to hunt alongside roadways in B.C.'s Southern Interior.
“This will no doubt be a story Const. Masters and Sgt. Buliziuk will share with their children and grandchildren in years to come,” says O’Donaghey.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Baby and grandparents killed in wrong-way crash involving police on Ontario's Highway 401
An infant and the child's grandparents – aged 55 and 60 – were all killed when a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Whitby, Ont. caused a crash involving at least six vehicles, the Special Investigations Unit says. The driver of the suspect vehicle also died.
Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
This is how many dentists have actually signed up for Canada's new free dental program
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb early Tuesday, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring four others, authorities said.
Police searching for 'armed man' in Dartmouth, N.S., residents asked to shelter in place
Residents in the area of Gaston Road in Dartmouth, N.S., are being asked to shelter in place as police search for an armed suspect.