NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from Dec. 29, 2021, when a baby giraffe was born at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk.
He may be capable of flips, but this Tony (the) Hawk will prefer the skies to a skateboard.
Friday, the Virginia Zoo announced they'd welcomed a young Harris's hawk, the newest addition to their exhibits. These hawks are native to North and South America and are nicknamed "wolves of the sky" for their pack-like hunting practices.
Their populations have recently been declining because of habitat loss, but they're not endangered.
Ashley Mars, a spokeswoman for the zoo, said Tony hatched in June 2021 in California under the watchful care of a former Virginia Zookeeper Tara Baumgardner.
He's one and a half pounds, and for the first part of his life at the zoo, will be behind the scenes as he gets training.
"Harris’s hawks are very smart, social, and active birds, so training will be very fun with this guy!" Baumgardner wrote.
He's got to be trained to step onto a keeper's glove, get on a scale, perch as commanded, get in a kennel, and allow people to touch him on various parts of his body (to make vet visits less stressful).
Eventually, Mars said he could be a part of Safari Camps, birthday parties, and outreaches for the zoo.
"Tony is expected to make his gnarly debut on Zoo grounds this summer once he has successfully completed his training and Keepers feel he is comfortable doing programs," she said.
