Our niece lives in Arizona. She is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and has always enjoyed horses and other animals. Recently she joined an animal rescue organization as a volunteer to be on call when wild animals are in need of help.

The organization provided valuable training for the volunteers so they could respond when people called in to report a wild animal in distress. We were with her one evening when she received a call from the dispatcher reporting that a hawk was injured and in need of help. I was excited when she asked me if I wanted to go along with her.

We drove to a remote location on the outskirts of Phoenix and met some people who had been able to contain the hawk until we arrived. Apparently they had been able to lure the hawk into a large cage. When we arrived, my niece grabbed a special pair of long gloves that had been issued to her at the training. The gloves were designed to protect her from the sharp talons of the wild hawk.

She put on the protective gloves and opened the cage. I thought the hawk would fly out and escape. But it was clearly disabled and unable to fly. My niece confidently approached the hawk and gently clutched it with her gloves. The hawk did not resist. It was probably dehydrated and weak for lack of food and water. She gently placed the large hawk in a special box, closed the lid and placed it in the cab of her truck. I was impressed with her courage and confidence dealing with this large injured bird.

After she got the bird back to her house, she transferred it to a larger cardboard box and gave the bird some water and food. She stayed up most of the night monitoring the hawk’s condition. It seemed to respond well to the water and small pieces of meat that she provided. In the morning, my niece took her wounded friend to the wildlife care center on her way to work.  

The goal of the wildlife rescue organization is to provide aid for injured animals, rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild. The volunteers are essential to the success of their efforts. Let me encourage you to find a place where you can donate your time to help animals and people.  You will be glad you did and they will too!

You can read 365 more stories and articles by Mark Hopper in his book Let Me Encourage You. You can purchase your copy for only $20 plus postage ($5). Order your copy today at markh@efreedb.org.