BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — A red-tailed hawk was rescued after it became stuck in the grill of a car that was traveling at a high rate of speed in northern Utah.
The hawk is being treated at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Dalyn Marthaler, executive director at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, says they see about 2-3 birds per year that get stuck in grills, but they usually endure a lot more damage.
“Typically, when an animal goes through a grill and gets entangled, there’s all kinds of head trauma, broken bones, lacerations," she said. "This bird didn’t have anything other than some head trauma. It’s incredible — we just don’t see that."
The next step will be to get him out to a larger enclosure and make sure he can catch prey and survive again outside the rehab. This hawk is just one of many birds that come through the nonprofit.
“We are the only center covering all of northern Utah, so we take in about 4,000 animals a year,” Marthaler said. “Everything we do is based off donations from the general public. There is no state and federal money to cover the expenses for this type of thing."
Just for food alone, the wildlife rehab center must budget about $70,000 a year.
