Cops Rescue Sick Hawk From Central Park Reservoir

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A sick hawk was rescued from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir on Christmas Eve and taken to the Upper West Side's Wild Bird Fund for treatment, police and the rescue organization said.

The hawk was damp after its dip in the reservoir and had also just finished a large meal, leaving it unable to fly. An Officer Healy of the NYPD's Central Park Precinct took the bird of prey to the Wild Bird Fund, where it received a blow dry.

"Central Park is the most beautiful place to spend Christmas eve, just ask this Hawk! Seems like he had too much to eat so Officer Healy and the @wildburdfund had to help him get home," the NYPD's Central Park Precinct said in a Twitter post.

The Wild Bird Fund also diagnosed the bird with lead poisoning and administered chelation therapy, the organization said on social media. New York City's hawks often receive lead poisoning from eating sickened pigeons, according to the wildlife group. City pigeons often get lead poisoning from the city's aging industry, such as buildings with lead paint.

The lead poisoning may explain why the hawk went swimming in the reservoir in the first place, the Wild Bird Fund said on social media. The fund named the hawk Healy in honor of the officer who rescued him.

Photos courtesy NYPD and Phyllis Tseng/Wild Bird Fund