10,000th Raptor Released Back into the Wild

The Carolina Raptor Center celebrated a significant milestone where it all began, on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte – releasing our 10,000th rehabilitated raptor at 9 AM on Saturday, August 10.

Dr. Christine Richardson, chair of the department of biological sciences, and Dr. Bernadette Donovan-Merket, interim dean of the College of Science, welcomed over 150 attendees at the Hauser Alumni Pavilion on a sunny morning not long after Hurricane Debby brew through the Carolinas.

Joey Cochran, Grounds Superintendent, was also in attendance. He was on staff in the early days of Carolina Raptor Center’s history and remarked that this was the very space on campus where they used to fly raptors as a part of their rehabilitation and preparation for release back into the wild.

Erin Katzner, President and CEO, addressed the crowd reflecting on Carolina Raptor Center’s history and impact on the local community with both the work done at the Raptor Hospital and inspiring moments that happen on the zoological Raptor Trail. Colleen Hartman, curator of birds, brought out Surrey, a Barn Owl, to help attendees understand the defining characteristics of raptors.

The culminating moment was when Kristin Dean, director of avian operations, brought out the Red-tailed Hawk that spent 51 days in the care of the Carolina Raptor Center. The successful release included pictures and video taken by many amateur and professional photographers, along with exclamations by young budding conservationists. After a minute resting on a nearby tree, the Red-tailed Hawk flew off into the interior of UNC Charlotte’s campus to become the newest 49er, just days before new students moved in for the fall semester.

Image by: Scott Deyo

Red-tailed Hawks are one of the most frequent patients at the Raptor Hospital, along with Red-shouldered Hawks and Barred Owls. This release of the 10,000th rehabilitated raptor was even more meaningful as the first bird of prey that was brought to Dr. Richard Brown, UNC Charlotte ornithologist, in 1975 by student Deb Sue Griffin was a Broad-winged Hawk.

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone at UNC Charlotte, where our journey began,” said Erin Katzner, President and CEO of the Carolina Raptor Center. “Releasing our 10,000th rehabilitated raptor, a hawk, at the place of our inception is a profound moment for all of us. It represents the dedication and hard work of our staff, volunteers, and supporters over the years.”

Thank you to our hosts at UNC Charlotte for partnering on a special event to recognize this milestone. UNC Charlotte also published a story detailing the event with quotes and pictures.