"He came to us from department of natural resources he was actually picked up by someone who thought he might make a good pet and since he is a wild animal he does not make a good pet,” said Jackie Entz, education coordinator at Chehaw Wild Animal Park.
/ Melanie Kendall
DOUGHERTY COUNTY, GA --
Little Maverick is a juvenile red shouldered hawk and the newest member of the Chehaw family.
"He came to us from department of natural resources he was actually picked up by someone who thought he might make a good pet and since he is a wild animal he does not make a good pet,” said Jackie Entz, education coordinator at Chehaw Wild Animal Park.
Maverick doesn't think of himself as a bird anymore, he's been around humans too much which is dangerous for a bird of prey.
"He can't be released into the wild because he doesn't know how to fend for himself as far as getting any food and he's also lost that fear of people and for an education bird that can be good but for a wild animal that can be really harmful,” said Entz.
Being part of the education collection means Maverick won’t be in a normal exhibit at the zoo. Instead he will be brought out during special programs and taken to schools. Try to see him soon because little Maverick is growing up quickly.
"He's still got this dandelion fluff going on at the top of his head, those were his baby downey feathers and he's slowly loosing the rest of those and he's developing this darker adult plumage or the feathers that's he'll use to fly around and like i said he's finally comfortable on his feet just like a kid learning to walk."
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