ROANOKE (WSLS 10) – A rescued red-tailed hawk who got a second chance at survival is now one step closer to receiving a new name.
Hundreds of submissions from the public have come in to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke after Executive Director Sabrina Garvin turned the naming process into a public contest.
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 the 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."
Out of the submissions, the center has narrowed down the possible name choices for male red-tailed hawk down to five possibilities.
It will now be up to a public vote. Submit your choice by taking their poll. Click here to vote ----->https://swvawildlifecenter.org/naming-our-newest-ambassador/
The final names you can vote on are:
- Cetan, means Hawk in the Indian language Lakota
- Ace, latin for red-tailed hawk is Buteo jam-AIC-ensis
- Zephyr, means gentle breeze
- Tuskegee, is the name of first WWII African-American aviators, also referred to as red tails
- Tialoc, is the name of the Aztec God of Thunder
Garvin says the names were chosen because of the thoughtfulness and meaning behind them. Voting ends on July 31 at noon.
The person who entered the winning name will receive a small prize package as well as a tour of the center.
To learn how you can donate or help the organization save hundreds of lives of animals each year, click here.