A red-tailed hawk, hobbled after becoming tangled in string, was rescued from a wooded area of Kitchener Park, at the edge of Lake Simcoe, on Feb. 8.
But after being freed by Ken MacDonald, a birder, the hawk was unable to fly. In stepped city snowplow driver David Doyle, who agreed to keep the hawk safe until it could be taken to Shades of Hope Wildlife Rescue in Pefferlaw.
On Thursday, after several days at the sanctuary, the hawk was returned to Orillia, where Doyle was able to release it at Kitchener Park. There were a lot of smiles as the hawk flew away.
"It turns out there was no serious damage to the bird's leg and a period of rest and recovery was all that was needed for it to heal," MacDonald said in a Facebook post.
"The bird was treated for parasites, which comes with the territory when you're a wild animal," he wrote.
Doyle released the hawk where it was found. "He said the bird was quite feisty and happy to be back home," said MacDonald.
An official from Shades of Hope told MacDonald the bird was a male. Doyle has observed another red-tailed hawk near the landfill over the last couple of weeks.
"We are wondering if this might be our bird's mate," said MacDonald. "In sedentary birds (hawks that don't migrate) mates remain together throughout the year."
MacDonald noted his original story, posted on various Facebook sites, has attained about 3,000 likes to date.
"Now, if everyone would consider making a one-time $10 donation to Shades of Hope, wouldn't that be something! We could raise $30,000 for this great organization that receives no government support for the good work they do, relying solely on the support of the general public," he said.
Click here to donate.