Hawk rescued after getting stuck in Topgolf net in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. - A red-tailed hawk that got stuck in a net at a Topgolf attraction in Orlando is recovering after it was rescued by Orange County firefighters on Tuesday evening.
The high-tech sports entertainment complex on Universal Boulevard shut down temporarily to allow fire units to rescue the tired and scared bird, the fire department said in a tweet. Pictures the department shared with FOX 35 News show the efforts rescuers put in to untangle the hawk and get him to safety.
The hawk is receiving treatment at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, a rehabilitation center in Maitland.
"When he came in, he did have a little bit of lack of pain response in his right foot from having that wrapped around his leg," said Samantha Little, a veterinarian technician at the center. "The next morning, he was already jumping around and trying to get into more trouble."
The hawk won't be the only one needing the center's TLC. Another one got stuck in netting in Jacksonville, Little said, and will arrive at the center on Thursday.
"That net, when they're hunting, they can't really see where that net is, so it can be really easy for them to fly in and not really know where it is and get stuck," she said.
If all goes well, the hawk in Orlando is expected to be released this weekend.