A man rescues an injured hawk from a highway on Long Island

NEW YORK (PIX11) – A man rescued an injured hawk stranded on the side of the Sunrise Highway on Long Island on Thursday afternoon.

Deb Oliver was driving when she noticed the injured bird. She reached out John DeBackervice president of Long Island Cat and Kitten Solution.

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DeBacker contacted 911 and Suffolk County Police officers arrived to slow traffic.

Wearing jeans and gloves, DeBacker grabbed the hawk, which appeared dazed, video of the rescue showed. The bird flapped its wings and dug its talons into DeBacker before placing him in the cage.

“I was afraid the hawk would fly into the traffic,” he said. “The hawk was probably there for hours before my friend called me and we were able to rescue it. I love animals, so if you see something, say something – especially if it’s an injured animal.”

DeBacker said he has been rescuing cats, birds and other creatures since high school.

The hawk was taken to Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown for examination. The full extent of the injuries was not clear.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. Since 2021, he has been covering local news and LGBTQIA issues in the New York metro area. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his works Here.

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