Animal Control Report: Squirrel Steals Fruit, Hawk Breaks into Porch

Animal Control officers in Alexandria deal with a variety of calls every week. Here's a glance at some recent incidents in the city courtesy of Patrick Cole, the director of communications and outreach at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Squirrel in Del Ray apartment — On March 3, an Animal Control officer was approached by a person on the street who was concerned about a squirrel loose inside an apartment in the 2400 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. The citizen was on her way to purchase a trap from a store when she noticed an Animal Control van parked on the street.

The officer delivered a humane trap to the apartment and set it to capture the squirrel. The officer provided the landlord with instructions for use and how to release the squirrel once trapped.

On March 4, the tenants reported that the squirrel was still loose and that it had eaten the fruit in the kitchen, though it had been unseen in some time. The officer advised the tenants to keep the trap and said Animal Control would check periodically for updates.

Hawk drops in for a visit — On March 5, a juvenile red-tailed hawk became trapped inside a porch in the 3600 block of Orlando Place. The residents of the home reported that the hawk flew through the screened-in porch attached to their home and would not leave.

An Animal Control officer arrived on the scene and was able to successfully coax the bird out through the porch door. The hawk was uninjured and flew away once it was outside.

For more information about Alexandria Animal Control, visit the AWLA website.