[Hookmanski]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

@ the show, one booth had a number of live birds: Raven, Red Tailed Hawk, Screech Owl, Barn Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Aplomado Falcon. Each had one leg with a leather tether attached to a perch.

I was talking to the raptor woman when she exclaimed, "Oh shit!!" The Falcon took off,.......leather strap hanging from its leg. It flew high up in to the I beams of the athletic center.

All morning it flew around, stopping to perch. Around noon, the leather strap got hung up on one of the sprinkler heads,...way up by the ceiling. The bird dangled upside down, flapping for about 1 hour. Everyone was watching.

They got a scissor lift platform w/ 2 men & the raptor woman, extended as far as possible. They had a net, & kept duct taping extensions to the handle. Probably a good 40' of them to reach the bird. The 2 men @ the bottom holding the end, maneuvering it w/ much difficulty. The net didn't work. They next duct tapped foam rubber to the end, hoping the bird would latch on. It didn't.

Finally, many attempts with an attached paint roller handle (minus the padded roller) hooked the tether & freed the bird. Cheers & applause went up, as the exhausted bird fluttered to the floor, screeching. Bird was ok & recovered behind the scenes

Yikes, that's a pretty crazy scenario!! Glad the bird was alright!!