Posted on 07/17/2011 3:19:05 PM PDT by JoeProBono
NEW YORK, - A New York woman says she had nearly given up hope her pet cat, Eddie, was still alive after the feline was carried off by a red-tailed hawk.
But Eddie, who weighs in at a hefty 15 pounds, was found stunned and disheveled but still kicking in the back yard of an apartment building after the estimated 4-pound bird apparently couldn't hang on and dropped it.
Eddie plummeted an estimated five stories but was no worse for wear, the New York Daily News said Saturday. "He checked out fine, other than some minor cuts, scrapes and bruises," said Eddie's owner, who did not want to be identified. "The vet says he's an amazing cat."
The woman admitted she wasn't so fine after hearing a ruckus outside her Upper West Side apartment and finding "fur, broken nails and feathers" when she went out to investigate.
"I walked for hours all over the neighborhood and up Riverside Drive, sobbing, looking for his body," she said. "I went to all the hawks' nests. I put up signs with Eddie's photo."
Animal experts said hawks generally don't consider household pets to be on their menu; however, they did recall a 2003 incident in Bryant Park when a hawk swooped down on an unsuspecting Chihuahua.
I KNEW I remembered a post about an Eagle in Central Park....and wadda ya know....I even posted on it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1759204/posts
Hawks can attack and kill prey that are larger than themselves, but I don’t believe the claim of a 4-pound hawk lifting up and carrying a 15-pound cat.
Ambitious bird.
We have a pair of hawks nesting in the oak tree next door.
They sometimes sit on my fence and annoy the dogs.
Yes, killing larger animals is quite different than lifting a 15-pound cat 70 feet up. (Note: nobody appears to have even seen the hawk in this story, let alone it flying with this cat 70 feet in the air.)
Yes 15 pounds seems a bit much.
I agree. I have several pairs of red tailed hawks nearby. They dive bomb dove and are particularly fond of local grey squirrels. They will catch a squirrel, kill it with their talons, perch up on the tallest gable of my home and neatly eat every soft tissue the squirrel has to offer then crush and eat as many bones as they can. When they are done, down drops a perfectly empty squirrel suit.
My yard cat sits by and watches. She’s never worried about the hawks and the hawks aren’t interested in her either.
Great thread. How could I have missed this one yesterday?
Personally, I'm a big raptor fan. Part of my job this year was to find golden eagle nests in the Interior West. Found quite a few -- always on cliffsides -- and quite a few juvenile golden eagles.
Laz: Have you ever worked with Harris's hawks in your falconry endeavours? I know they are highly prized in this field.
The hawk’s reach exceeded its grasp. But at least it’s setting the bar high!
“Hate predator birds.”
I love them. But I can never eat a whole one by myself.
No, I haven’t. However, my falconry teacher had a Golden Eagle who was rehabilitating her wing. WOW.
The golden eagle is -- hands down -- the most impressive bird in North America. Yes, the Cal condor may have a longer wingspan, but the golden eagle trumps it in every other way.
I'm always in awe watching these colossal marvels fly overhead!
When I was a kid I had an uncle that worked as a park ranger in South Dakota. We were out for a visit from home in Minneapolis. For our return trip he asked if we could bring an injured golden eagle back with us to the Como Zoo in St.Paul. When they loaded it into the station wagon it was in a large cardboard box with a few holes. My brother and I usually slept in the back with the seats down and sleeping bags spread out. This was the seventies, no seatbelts necessary.
There were a few thumps and scrapes came from the box every once in awhile. My brother and I kept peeking in the hole too. But it was dark and hard to see. My parents said to keep away from it about 20 times.
After the 7 hour drive we got a little tour of the zoo buildings where most visitors can’t go. It freaked me out when they unboxed the bird and I saw how huge it was. Most people don’t get to see these birds close up much less spend hours penned up in the back of a station wagon.
And I'm very glad that you and your brother didn't open that box inside the station wagon.
If you had, you may not be here today to tell this great story. Lol!
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