'Safe to say it's been dead for a long time': Hawk found by B.C. kids was taxidermy, not in need of rescue
Volunteers at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Delta, B.C., are used to receiving calls about a variety of species, but nothing quite like this.
The OWL Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society took to social media to report that it received an unusual "rescue" call a few weeks ago that turned out to be a taxidermied bird.
"We got a call from a local school that the kids found a dead raptor clinging to a branch. Of course we send out a volunteer to gather the bird to find out more about what species, the cause of death and other points of interest," the post reads.
Martina Versteeg, a raptor care supervisor at the rehabilitation society tells CTV News Vancouver that the unusual discovery was made by students at an elementary school in Abbotsford, who reported it to their principal.
"The principal didn't want the kids poking or playing with it, so she called us," Versteeg says.
When a volunteer went to collect the bird, they found an old taxidermied juvenile red-tailed hawk mounted onto a branch, that was missing its tail and had an air freshener attached to it.
"(Our volunteer) reported back 'safe to say it's been dead for a long time' as it was taxidermied."
While the discovery was bizarre, the rehabilitation centre says the taxidermy hawk is now residing at their facility and may even join their museum as an artifact.
"Permits are required to taxidermy raptors, so we think someone must have had permits at some point for this bird," Versteeg says.
"It is unusual to think about where he came from, who had it and why exactly it was dumped in a bush as it was not in too poor of condition. But the mystery added a lighter tone to what we usually see when we are picking up injured wildlife."
Versteeg adds that the kids and principal did the right thing by calling for help.
"We pick up dead raptors to find out how they died and to share that knowledge with people to reduce our impact on wildlife in the future," she says. "If the (Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development) doesn't have a plan for this specimen, we will add this bird to our education permit to teach people about raptors and environmental issues."
"(The ministry) sometimes may decide a certain specimen is better suited to another location or museum," Versteeg says.
"They also try to give deceased wildlife back to the local First Nations when appropriate, for ceremonial purposes."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.