4:50PM. WINORR (Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation) provided this update on Pale Male’s fledgling in their care about 20 minutes ago:
“The blood results from the Fifth Avenue fledgling show significant anemia most likely due to ingestion of poison. The type is unknown and there are warfrin based toxins which can be either short or long acting but requiring continued care and vitamin K injections to fight the effects the poison has in depleting vitamin k and clotting ability in the body. Some animals can show initial improvement only to bleed out later depending on the amount of toxin ingested so we will treat for at least 10 days and if it survives release back where he came from. He is still young and dependant on his parents at this stage. Any other options for release such as the suburbs where we live also have poisons used at golf courses, cemetaries and parks so the same dangers exist outside the city as well. As long as the remaining sibling has an appetite and continues to feed it is possible to survive without treatment depending on the level of toxicity in its body and how its organs handle it. Our hawk is appearing to improve but with any wild animal they attempt to mask illness as best they can as it is a sign of weakness and may leave them vulnerable to fall prey if they leave their guard down.”
Hawk-watchers in Central Park have been maintaining a nearly constant vigil (each in their own ‘shift’ so to speak) near the sick fledgling in the park. The fledgling is still rather motionless in the tree it last flew to.
A pair of the faithful Hawk-watchers bought frozen mice from a local pet supplies store to leave for the sick fledgling in the hopes it would come down to eat them. So far the fledgling has not eaten the food but hopes remain somewhat high that it will do so by the end of the day.