Zoo plans to release falcon into the wild

Staff at the Gladys Porter Zoo are preparing a heartfelt send off for a peregrine falcon they have been rehabilitating for the past six weeks.

The bird, born nine years ago in the tundra of Alaska, was brought to the zoo on Dec. 3 after a concerned individual found it on a dock in Port Isabel. Zoo officials said the falcon, which is currently listed as an endangered species, appeared to be injured and underwent complete medical testing to ensure its survival.

“We did a full work up, full body X-rays, checking for any broken bones,” Thomas W. DeMarr, senior veterinarian at the Gladys Porter Zoo said. “Obviously, a peregrine falcon on the ground is not a normal occurrence.”

While initial tests revealed no serious illnesses or injuries, DeMarr said the staff wanted to ensure the bird was totally healthy before it was released. After spending time in an inside stall, the falcon was placed in a 90-by-60-foot flight cage with live pigeons that it hunted for food.

DeMaar estimates the falcon has made six round trips from Alaska to Port Isabel in his lifetime, a common occurrence for North American birds of its kind. He said the zoo spends nearly $30,000 a year rehabilitating native wildlife and believes it to be an important part of conservation.

The zoo planned to officially release the falcon on Jan. 15, yet was forced to delay the bird’s departure due to inclement weather. DeMaar said that the falcon will be brought back to Port Isabel and released into the wild when the weather improves, which could be as soon as today.

“He’s able to fly reasonably well and we know he can hunt, kill and feed himself,” DeMarr said. “When the weather clears we will (take him out) to a remote site out on the shoreline and launch him skyward.”