Red-tailed hawk to be released at Maymont next week

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A red-tailed hawk will be released back into the wild at Maymont on Thursday, marking the 1778th patient at the Wildlife Center of Virginia this year.

According to the center, Maymont will release the hawk back into the wild during a free event at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, between the farm and the Robins Nature Center, after more than two months of care and rehabilitation.

However, the center urges attendees to register in advance here.

Staff from both the center and Maymont will give a brief educational presentation before they open the crate and release the bird.

On May 26, the hawk was rescued after it was found grounded in downtown Richmond, just minutes down the road from Maymont.

The hawk was reportedly fledgling with a previously healed pelvic fracture, though the exact cause of the injury is unknown, per the center.

The center said that the rehabilitation team provided daily care for the hawk and monitored its progress, and by the middle of June, the hawk began daily flight exercises.

On July 31, the hawk was officially cleared for release.

According to the center, the release of the hawk on Thursday is not the only collaboration between the Wildlife Center and Maymont.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 30, the center will present "Wildlife Assessment and Rescue," a program for adults and students aged 12 and older about common wildlife emergencies and steps to take to rescue an animal in need. Registration is $25 per person.