A Cooper's hawk that decided to take an extended vacation at the indoor pool at Avimor is flying free now. And the community has a brave little sparrow to thank for getting him out.
The hawk was discovered on Sunday and was doing more than just concerning local swimmers. He was also creating a messy situation. Dan Richter, managing partner for Avimor explains, "At times he's dirtied the pool a bit and we were cleaning up after him."
The wayward hawk spent four days in the pool room before help arrived in the form of a very worried-looking sparrow, borrowed from a nearby bird facility. "You know, the bird (hawk) was hungry and we used live bait in a specialized trap," explains Ryan Walrath with Idaho Fish and Game.
The trap looks like a crab pot and is designed to snare the hawk's talons. It worked in minutes and the hawk was set free. But what about the little sparrow inside? "No live animal was harmed," says Walrath.
Talk about a big story for a little sparrow. Escaping a top predator and putting the hurt on a human? That's one tough sparrow.
