Colorado Governor’s Plane Comes to Aid of Injured Falcon
Gov. Roy Romer’s state airplane was pressed into service as an air ambulance to transport an injured peregrine falcon to a bird clinic.
The governor’s pilot, Lt. Lloyd White, was asked if he could carry the falcon from Lamar to Denver on Thursday, said Bryant Will, district manager of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
“No problem,” White told Will. “It will be nice to have a real aviator fly with me.”
The falcon, which had a cut on its right shoulder, was captured Wednesday by falconer Dale Eddleman, Will said. The falcon could have suffered the injury by hitting a fence or telephone wire.
“The peregrine hadn’t eaten for so long it was too weak and too hungry to be wary as Eddleman walked up and captured it by hand,” Will said.
The bird was taken to the Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Foundation in Broomfield. The governor’s plane was needed when a flight by a local flying service was canceled.
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