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Poisoned Hawk Found By Hiker In Lower Merion Township: Police

A red-tailed hawk that was suffering after being poisoned was rescued in Lower Merion Township, according to police.

A poisoned red-tailed hawk rescued on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 by Officer Brian Devlin, the Animal Warden for the Lower Merion Township Police Department.

A poisoned red-tailed hawk rescued on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 by Officer Brian Devlin, the Animal Warden for the Lower Merion Township Police Department.

Photo Credit: Lower Merion Township Police Department (Facebook)

Officers responded to a call about a hawk that was in distress in a wooded area of Gladwyne, the Lower Merion Township Police Department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Officer Brian Devlin, the department's Animal Warden, confirmed to Daily Voice that he was involved in rescuing the hawk on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

A hiker on the Winsor Trail initially found the bird and reported it, according to Devlin. The animal was unable to fly and appeared to be in distress.

The hawk showed signs of potential rodenticide poisoning, so Devlin took the bird to the Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic, he said. Unfortunately, the hawk died about a day later.

Rat poison is a major problem for birds of prey, which often eat rodents as their main source of food, according to Devlin.

For more information on what to do if you find an injured hawk or other wild animal, the Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic has instructions posted on its website.

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