With eyes clouded over, this bird of prey sought out Super Mario for help.
Mario Andretti might know a thing or two about racing cars but according to an encounter with a bird of prey earlier yesterday (June 19,2020) the senior, seasoned racecar vet, like most regular folk, knows little about birds,reaching out to Twitter for help. A tweet from Super Mario shows a red-tailed hawk perched in his backyard, unbothered by human presence and, by the looks of his eyes, partially blind.
Check out his tweet below.
I could use a bird whisperer – or Raptor Center expert. This bird has been sitting on the back of my chair all afternoon. Isn't bothered by me at all. I hate to see any distressed animal. Wish it could tell me what's wrong. I keep asking but it won't answer pic.twitter.com/Mj8Hb4YkG2
— Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) June 18, 2020
In the photos we can see a young hawk looking at Mario Andretti, it’s growing talons latched onto a lounge chair, supposedly not moving for hours.
While Twitter is mostly filled with trolls and rabble rousers, there are a few good commenters, some, according to Mario Andretti’s replies, with bird knowledge.
Here are the most helpful tweets below.
50+ replies and yours is the only one that gives a correct assessment. They can hear each other from across their territory, this fledgling will be fine, it's just now learning to fly and likely resting while its parents are out hunting for food for the family.
— Geoff (@GSchopp) June 19, 2020
Pocono Wildlife Rehab Center! – 570.402.0223 – they take all wild animals in need in our area 😄
— Glambyliz__ (@GlambyLiz__) June 18, 2020
Finding sick or injured birds of prey can be a stressful situation for both the bird and whoever finds it.
According to the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, there are a few things you can do to help our injured friends. If you determine it’s been long enough and that this young bird’s parents aren’t coming back soon, it’s time to provide shelter and warmth A.S.A.P.
Most importantly, you’ll want to keep yourself safe. Wild animals are…wild, and don’t understand you want to help them. They may attack.
Basically, you want to place the bird as safely as you can in a box before contacting a licensed rehabilitator. You also don’t want to feed the bird, but you can place a bowl of water so the bird can drink.
Hopefully, this red-tailed hawk got the help it needed. Here’s to hoping Mario Andretti posts an update.
