By Angella Rocklein

On Wednesday the 21st you may have spotted two beautiful hawks being displayed in Bogel Hall. The hawks were brought to campus by Matt Zymanek. He has been training and taking care of birds of prey for over 20 years at the Hawk Creek Wildlife Center in East Aurora.

The visit to campus was organized as part of Hilbert’s True Blue Week.
Chase is a male Harris hawk from St. Louis. The bird seemed calm, and was defined by red streaks in his wings and white tipped feathers on his tail.
The other bird was Blaze,  a female Peregrine falcon.  Blaze has an injured wing, but a healthy Peregrine is one of the fastest animals in nature, with the ability to travel more than 200 mph while swooping in on prey.
Zymanek said the wildlife center is in need. Over the past few years winter has worn down the Wildlife Center.  The roofs are starting to cave in, and cages have also been destroyed. Everything has been repaired to the best of its ability. The “Snowvember” storm is mostly to blame for the damage, but cold temperatures also contribute. Donations can be made at www.hawkcreek.org.

Hawk Creek has been seen on Rachel Ray, Steve Harvey, The Today Show, PBS, & Nat Geo. This center has award winning programs, they even have it so you can walk with eagles. You even have the opportunity to “Adopt” an animal. Hawk Creek has more than just birds, other animals include reptiles, wild cats and mammals (fox, horse, skunk, opossum, otter, and porcupine).