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COBB COUNTY, GA - A couple of Cobb County Police Officers came across a bird whose feathers had been a bit ruffled and appeared in distress. It was a red-tailed hawk and it was stopping traffic in the middle of an intersection.
"I thought it was a stuffed animal, then when I drove around it, it turned its head and I realized it was a hawk," said Cobb County Police Officer James Lee.
Cars were swerving to miss the large bird on Veterans Memorial Highway.
"It looked like it was in distress. Its mouth was open. It was breathing really erratically," Lee said.
Concerned about the bird, Lee and his lieutenant called a fellow officer who knew a thing or two about birds. Officer Israel Harris worked in animal control for a number of years and knew what to do.
"Birds are kind of simple animals, light and dark. When it's dark they go to sleep, so you can throw something over top of him," Harris said .
The lieutenant brought out his jacket and threw it over the bird's head. They rushed the bird to Fire Station 27 just down the street. Officers were concerned because they believed the hawk had been hit by a car.
The bird rested and recovered in an air conditioned room inside the station. After about 20 minutes the hawk tried to stand up. Officers took the bird outside and in no time, his wings were flapping and he headed for the trees.