[h=3]Tucson Wildlife Center caring for record number of hawks[/h] Posted: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 7:39 PM EDT Updated: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 9:14 PM EDT Written By John Patrick
TUCSON - Local wildlife center is receiving an alarming amount of calls for sick and injured hawks.
Tucson Wildlife Center is calling the recent heat wave a crisis as workers are fielding more than 500 calls a day for young hawks exposed to the sun.
Tucson resident, Benny Gallegos, was caring for three Cooper?s hawks before bringing them to the Tucson Wildlife Center. Gallegos said the fledglings appeared exhausted from the heat.
?They're apex predators,? said Gallegos. "I don't have the capacity to take care of them."
Lisa Bates, executive director of the Tucson Wildlife Center, said the facility has taken in around 200 Cooper?s hawks in the last few days. Many of these hawks were trying to escape the triple-digit heat beating down on their exposed nests high in the trees.
?The nestlings that haven't got their flight feathers yet are just bailing out 50 feet high and when they hit the ground they're lucky to survive,? said Bates....
