From the Department of Environmental Protection this week: the adult male peregrine is recovering nicely and is expected to be just fine. However, he will not be released back to the wild.

Peregrines need to be 100 percent physically to survive from day to day. Unfortunately the falcon will not be able to fully extend the injured wing and so will not have the agility and precise control to effectively hunt.

Dauphin County Wildlife Rescue (DCWR) staff told DEP he is a very good patient. He will remain at DCWR under a falconry permit and will be used in educational programs by DCWR. In a very real sense, this remarkable bird will continue to enhance this endangered species recovery program by his appearance at educational events in the future.

For the latest information, go to DEP’s Falcon webpage and sign up for the Falconwire email.

1/28/2005