March 13, 2013
Update on Madison Square Park Hawk
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) NYC blog has confirmed the cause of death for the beloved Madison Square Park Hawk. After passing away, the body of the red-tailed hawk was given to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) to determine the cause of death.
Following the necropsy, the NYS DEC concluded that the hawk died from secondary rat poising. According to the NYS DEC, “what we know so far is that there were partially reabsorbed clots of blood indicating a prior episode(s) of poisoning as well as the massive bleed-out that led to this bird’s painful death.”
For more information on the Madison Square Park Hawk and information on precautions for rodents, head over to the EPA’s NYC blog.