Hawk returns to California zoo after 15-months in the wild: report
A California zoo's months-long search for a beloved hawk came to an end with the raptor flying into the arms of the handlers it recognized, according to a report.
Ripley, a star for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Bird Show, fled the coup in April 2024 after an encounter with a pair of aggressive red-tailed hawks, according to a KMPH report.
3 Ripley the Harris's Hawk was missing from the Fresno
Chaffee Zoo since April 2024.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
On July 29, a bird-watching local in Prather, Ca., noticed the striking Harris's hawk in their backyard, the report stated.
3 Ripley pictured after his return home.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
3 The grateful bird flew towards the arms of his handlers after recognizing them at the Prather, Ca., area home.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
That person then learned of Ripley's tale online and reported the sighting to Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
When hawk handlers arrived, Ripley recognized his longtime caretakers and, after 20 minutes, flew directly into their arms, according to the report.
'Ripley's return is a testament to the relationships built between our animals and Zoo staff,' Ronnie Kerestus, the Zoo's Curator of Outreach, told KMPH.
Kerestus further expressed gratitude for the 'massive effort' of the Fresno community in returning Ripley to his habitat.
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A hawk missing from a California zoo showed up 15 months later in a backyard just 25 miles from where he was lost. Ripley, a male Harris's hawk, flew away from the Fresno Chafee Zoo during a bird show last April and had been missing ever since. He was driven out by local red-tailed hawks during the show, and then could not be located despite widespread news coverage and dozens of reported sightings, the zoo reported on its website this week. That was until late last month, when a neighbor saw an unusual hawk in her backyard in Prather (Fresno County) about 25 miles from Fresno, and contacted the zoo after seeing reports about the missing bird of prey. Zoo staff arrived at the home, coaxed him onto a falconer's glove and brought him back to the zoo, where a veterinarian found him in good health, the zoo's bird show animal manager told CBS News. 'It was truly a massive effort from everyone in the Fresno community, and we are endlessly grateful to everyone who shared his story, sent in sightings and supported the search to bring Ripley back where he belongs,' said Ronnie Kerestus, curator of outreach at the zoo, in the zoo blog post. Harris's hawks are mostly dark brown, with chestnut brown coloring on their wings and legs and some white markings. The birds are native to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, as well as Mexico, Central America and South America. Male and female adults are about the size of a crow and tend to weigh 18 to 31 ounces, whereas red-tailed hawks are much larger, with females weighing up to 52 ounces, according to Merlin, a bird identification and education resource from Cornell University.
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Hawk returns to California zoo after 15-months in the wild: report
The hawk is in. A California zoo's months-long search for a beloved hawk came to an end with the raptor flying into the arms of the handlers it recognized, according to a report. Ripley, a star for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Bird Show, fled the coup in April 2024 after an encounter with a pair of aggressive red-tailed hawks, according to a KMPH report. 3 Ripley the Harris's Hawk was missing from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo since April 2024. Fresno Chaffee Zoo On July 29, a bird-watching local in Prather, Ca., noticed the striking Harris's hawk in their backyard, the report stated. 3 Ripley pictured after his return home. Fresno Chaffee Zoo 3 The grateful bird flew towards the arms of his handlers after recognizing them at the Prather, Ca., area home. Fresno Chaffee Zoo That person then learned of Ripley's tale online and reported the sighting to Fresno Chaffee Zoo. When hawk handlers arrived, Ripley recognized his longtime caretakers and, after 20 minutes, flew directly into their arms, according to the report. 'Ripley's return is a testament to the relationships built between our animals and Zoo staff,' Ronnie Kerestus, the Zoo's Curator of Outreach, told KMPH. Kerestus further expressed gratitude for the 'massive effort' of the Fresno community in returning Ripley to his habitat.
