Palemale’s grandchild was prepared to face a great many trials in its life--harsh weather, treacherous environment, attack by other predators, difficult food supply. It was prepared by millions of years of priming until it was shaped into the magnificent creature which we have seen over the last few weeks peering out of its cradle of that skyscraper window. The one thing those millions of years of evolution did not prepare him for was the deceitful behavior of the human species.
Be assured however that this heartbreaking episode in its life has been registered in the Universe, and so small as it seem, that mighty natural force has acknowledged this injustice and shall in a later period endow its precious possessions with a means of defense against this wicked transgression.
Every person who allowed and or condoned the dreadful predicament of this poor animal has stepped themselves back one notch in the progress of Man--a digression which we shall all share as a species. Conversely, that poor animal cowering in its prison out there in Long Island has advanced an equal notch toward attaining a superior lead in its own evolution which shall be gallantly shared amongst its own species. And that entity which our puerile minds gave the name ‘red-tailed hawk’ shall rise above us not just in speed and grace and wit but also in rational behavior.
Presently I'm sitting on a chair which is distorting the natural form of my body, legs hurt, shoes cramp, shirt collars choke, computer monitors make me squint. I feel helpless and I feel like I'm a prisoner of this manmade time, but mostly I feel lost for having detached myself from the natural world. My solace comes as my mind wander into the future--there I imagine a more just and harmonious place for all animals. I fancy I see in that far off world that those animals have ascended many notches up and that we have descended likewise as many notches. In that world I feel that if those ‘red-tailed hawks’ ever found one of us tottering helplessly on the ground they will extend a kindly arm towards us and tip us back on our feet wholeheartedly and unconditionally, but I believe they’ll be so wise as to leave us to earn our own way toward the Sun should that be our goal.
For now I will share the sin of my fellow man and suppress the ego that is so alive in me to see instant accountability.
After work today I will go to my favorite places and strain my eyes skyward and search for their graceful frames soaring above my head. Then I’ll console myself that their ability to fly and be so quietly and nobly closer to the Sun must be the result of that just and attentive Universe forever at work keeping them aloft and keeping us welded to the Earth out of reach from her precious possessions.
Sunday June 17th, 2007: I am told that Mr Horvath does not have a proper flight cage made strickly of wood at his facility. Instead, his flight cage is made of laminated chicken wire which can potentially damage our fledgling's wings.
I am not knocking him for this and will even appeal to people to help him acquire one. I hope more people donate to help equip this man with the necessary items to perform his job, as I understand first hand what it's like to support a hobby with only your salary. I would like Mr Horvath to continue to be a rehabber and perform his duties well, for this mostly thankless job. However since the welfare of voiceless animals are put in the care of rehabbers there should be more vigilance and answerability for the work they perform.
5:00PM Wed June 13, 2007:
Palemale Jr & Charlotte's baby has fledged. It ended up in the Ziegfeld plaza on 55th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues. The bird was picked up by Central Park PEP officers and handed over to the Urban Park Rangers. It is now in the hands of Bobby Horvath who is taking it to his home in Long Island.
I spoke to Bobby who described the baby as behaving normal with no sign of injuries. I'm trying to convince him to just bring the bird back and let it go in Central Park South. He has plans to keep it much longer.
It is breaking my heart that I have been traveling so many miles around the city looking at other baby hawks and here is this baby one block away from my apartment and I wasn’t able to be there to pick him up and just take him into the park and leave him to have a natural life.
I am practically begging Bobby to just take the bird right back into Central Park and release it and allow the parents to take over.
Now the poor bird will be prodded and probed and worst of all he’ll have a nasty piece of metal permanently affixed to his foot for the rest of his life.
10:00PM June 13, 2007:
Bobby stopped our conversation around 5PM Wednesday evening and promised to call me back in half hour. Perhaps there is a good reason why I cannot reach him after a half dozen calls thus far. If I'm wrong I have an apology ready, but if he’s avoiding me all I can do is what I believe is the right thing. If you believe the hawk should be released without delay please call him and call all the people who are involved in this. Please do not follow me blindly without giving it your own thought. Judging by the number of things I was wrong about in my life this one may not be any different.
I just cringe to see an innocent animal mindlessly dragged through ‘routine’ procedures unnecessarily.
If this bird have some problem which these tests are going to reveal then I would be much happier to have that little animal die in the sight of its parents in Central Park so they can know what happened to him/her, rather than have the poor thing spend the rest of its life in a cage getting fed frozen rats and where it would most likely serve as a fund raiser icon until the end of its days.
