By Bill Lindelof
The Sacramento Bee
ELK GROVE, Calif. — Firefighters came to the rescue of a hawk that was found hanging upside down from a roof rain gutter on an Elk Grove house.
It is unknown how long the raptor had been hanging from the gutter when noticed Tuesday morning. The raptor had gotten a talon caught in a leaf guard covering the roof gutter at the home in the 5800 block of Anchor Bay Way.
Since Elk Grove firefighters were away on a call and Animal Service officers were busy, a nearby Sacramento Fire Department engine was the first to arrive to help the hawk. The homeowner came home and saw the hawk hanging above the garage, according Chris Harvey of the Sacramento Fire Department.
While his eyes were open, the bird was exhausted. The raptor hung quietly while firefighters unhooked the metal grate and lowered the hawk to the ground.
Once on the ground, the bird was wrapped in canvas so he would not flap and talons were unhooked from the leaf guard. Once free of the predicament, the bird stood as if to let the blood return to his head, then flew away.
Eng. 57 hawk rescue yesterday. Talons stuck in leaf gutter guard, tired & limp. Lowered to ground and removed, bird flew away moments later. pic.twitter.com/NPzm70R411
— Sacramento Fire (@SacFirePIO) November 16, 2016