A red-tailed hawk that had been reportedly shot in Cheshire two weeks ago has died.
A Place Called Hope, a nonprofit birds of prey rehabilitation center, found a young red-tailed hawk with two pellets and six body wounds earlier this month.
After two weeks of care, the hawk died from internal damage to the gut on Friday. A Place Called Hope said the hawk was actively recovering from injuries after being shot at the time of its death.
It's unclear who shot the hawk or what the reasoning was.
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The center claims that a lot of people shoot at predators, claiming they have a right to protect their livestock.
A Place Called Hope stresses the importance of providing proper enclosures for their livestock to keep predators away.
Either way, they say it's illegal to shoot a federally-protected species
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The rehabilitation center said they reported the incident to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
NBC Connecticut has reached out to DEEP for more information, but has not yet heard back.
A Place Called Hope cares for birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and more.
