PaleMale
and Lola are a famous pair of Red-tailed
Hawks that live in downtown New York
City. PaleMale and Lola nested on the
14th story of an upscale New York City
apartment building for several years,
producing many chicks. Hundreds of birdwatchers
would watch in awe as the hawks sailed
beneath the urban landscape. The pair
hunted, nested, mated, and raised chicks
before an audience of many thousands
of people, whose days were lifted just
by viewing the awesome raptors. Many
believed that PaleMale and Lola represented
a natural success story; that nature
can survive, thrive, and be beautiful
amidst the world's most modified environments.
On
December 14, 2004, however, the nest,
and the platform that held the nest,
were removed from the building because
the building's owner thought it was
unsightly and messy. Although the hawks
are protected by the Migratory Bird
Act of 1918, which makes harming a
wide range of birds found in North
America illegal, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service ruled the nest could
be removed because at the time there
were no chicks.
Immediately
following the removal of the nest,
wildlife enthusiasts from all parts
of the world began an impassioned protest.
They were incensed that that the nest
was removed and that the building's
owner could have such a blatant disregard
for the hawks, and the happiness they
provided for so many people. Thousands
of letters poured into the mailboxes
of local newspapers and tabloids. Dozens
of people even established a vigil
around the building. The building's
owner and his famous wife were vilified
by local media. Soon, the story of
PaleMale and Lola became international
news. The local Audubon Society and
other nature groups began negotiating
with the building's owner to re-assemble
the platform which formerly held the
nest. Then, three weeks after the nest
was removed, the building's owner finally
agreed to put the platform that held
the nest back where it was. Almost
immediately, the famous hawks began
building another nest on the platform,
to the delight of thousands of their
fans.
You
can visit the official site of PaleMale
and Lola by clicking here. |
