Red-tailed hawk rescued; now he needs a name

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) -  A red-tailed hawk is getting a second chance at survival thanks to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke.

The center's executive director Sabrina Garvin says the hawk was rescued after he was illegally kept in captivity for two years.

Its original owner didn't have a permit to keep the bird so the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries confiscated it and then transferred him to th

e Virginia Wildlife Center.

The center determined the hawk could not be released back into the wild because he was kept in captivity for too long without training.

Although he won't be released, he is in good company by trained professionals at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center.

Garvin says he will now be used as an ambassador, an education animal that will be used to teach the public about his species and the importance of conservation.

"It's all about one, because they are actually a defense against disease. And so it's not just, ‘oh why do I need that?'' We need these animals," Garvin said. "They all have a specific purpose and it's up to us to protect them."

The center wants the public's help naming the new red-tailed hawk.

The person who enters the winning name will receive a small prize package as well as a tour of the center.

For information on how to submit a name for the hawk click here. You can email entries to swvawildlifecenter@gmail.com