Zoo’s bird of prey injures small boy
Second incident this summer involving raptors at Aldergrove facility
Glenda Luymes, The Province
Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008
A small boy was treated for scratches to his head after a hawk landed on him during the raptor show at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
The boy was selected from the audience on Sunday after volunteering to feed a Harris hawk named Morgan in a birds-of-prey presentation, said zoo spokeswoman Jody Henderson. The boy was holding one end of a lure that had food on the opposite end when the hawk took the food and landed on his head.
“The [bird's] talons are sharp, and the boy received some scratches,” said Henderson.
“Morgan,” a Harris hawk at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, is officially off the zoo’s raptor show
Staff stopped the popular show, which runs about three times daily at the zoo, and gave the boy medical assistance. He did not require further treatment.
Henderson said the bird has been pulled from the show, but it will continue to live and train at the zoo.
“We don’t know why he decided to land on the boy,” she said. “It was unusual behaviour, so because we don’t want to see anyone get hurt, we’ve taken that [bird] out of the show.”
Henderson said the hawk was not trying to attack the boy.
In June, a golden eagle that also performed in the raptor show was eaten by a lion in a nearby enclosure. The four-year-old eagle flew into the lion’s cage after a midair fight with a flock of aggressive crows.
- The zoo has opened a new Arctic section, rearranging its enclosures so the cold-weather animals can be viewed in one area.
Two weeks ago, a pair of muskox moved to their new enclosure.
According to zoo staff, the Arctic wolves, the only wild predator of the muskox, are watching the new arrivals with curiosity.
The muskox and wolves are separated by two electrical fences and open space.
In addition to the muskox and wolves, the Arctic section houses Arctic foxes, reindeer, emperor geese and snow geese.
(source: canada.com )