It’s not every day that you meet a bird of prey by the roadside, “hitchhiking.” But if you do, the bird obviously has serious health problems, and you can save his life. Get the number of an animal protection organization and call fast—time is precious! They’ll know what needs to be done!
This is practical advice. Last month, the AMP rescue team undertook a race against time to save a buzzard hawk. The bird, once dignified and agile, able to glimpse a mouse from high in the air, was now lying limply on the roadside near a truck parking lot. A truck driver felt sorry for him, so he took the bird into his cab. Not knowing what to do next, he delivered the bird to a familiar place—a gas station on the outskirts of Brasov. A boy working there had the idea to call AMP, so the bird was picked up by our rescue team. “When he got to us he couldn’t stand up; he was frozen, weak, dehydrated, and listless. During the medical examination, no conclusive problems were found. He had no broken bones in his wings or legs,” says AMP’s vet, Ciprian Cocianu.
The patient was transported in an emergency vehicle to Sibiu, where he was picked up by specialists from the Friends of Storks Association. ”He was more dead than alive. I never thought that he’d survive. The next morning, after we started the treatment with antibiotics, the buzzard stood up. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, requiring seven days of treatment,” said Miruna Gritu, ethologist and president of Friends of Storks. Now the bird’s recovery is complete, and he’s being prepared for release. No longer sentenced to death, he now has the chance to fly free again.
Although not endangered yet, the buzzard hawk species is threatened by hunting, poisoning, and noise pollution. Each bird is important!
To watch a short video with the buzzard hawk, click HERE
