Montana's hawks, owls and eagles get injured by collisions with cars and windows (not to mention bullets), by electrocution, and by poison. In some cases, a young bird will "imprint" on humans, leaving it unable to live in the wild. Bozeman's Montana Raptor Conservation Center works to heal these raptors and return them to the wild; about 40% of the birds at the center get released. In 2013, 190 raptors spent time there, and plenty of students come through the center, too. Director Becky Kean reflects on a recent bird release: "It's kind of unexplainable, when you see the state she was in when she came here and then seeing her fly free like that. It's hard to put it in words, I guess. It's one of the parts that makes our job all worth it, seeing her go."
(Broadcast: "Home Ground Radio," 11/23/14. Listen weekly on the radio, Sundays at 11:10 a.m., or via podcast.)
