During the entire month of November, the Minnesota Zoo​ will be sharing stories of the many rescued and rehabilitated animals that we care for. All of our animals receive amazing care from zoo staff, volunteers and community members. All of this work is made possible because of YOUR amazing support – thank you! Check back daily as we feature a new story from around the Zoo.

The Zoo’s three red-tailed hawks are stars of the show – and of them has arguably seen more parts of Minnesota than the average person!

Bird Show: He may not look like one, but rest assured, he is. Hatched in 1990, “Ivory,” a partial albino red-tailed hawk, was found starving in Wisconsin and admitted to a rehabilitator in Hayward. He was cared for and when it was deemed that he was healthy enough, he was released back into the wild. Unfortunately, Ivory was found again shortly thereafter in the same poor, starving condition and was again rehabilitated at the same facility. It was then he was deemed unreleasable. The Minnesota Zoo’s incredible bird show staff picked him up in October, 1991, and he’s essentially ran the birth show ever since.

Zoomobile:  He’s spent most of his life at the Minnesota Zoo, and is one of the oldest in Zoo’s animal family. Meet “Jake,” one of Zoomobile’s stars. He was injured in Iowa after falling out of tree nest while the tree was being cut down. After going to the Raptor Center in St. Paul, he was transferred to the Minnesota Zoo in 1981. Since that time, Jake has made a connection in animal programs with hundreds of thousands of people throughout Minnesota and onsite at the Zoo, first with the Bird Show and later with Zoomobile. According to Kevin Wier, Zoomobile’s supervisor, former staff members “always ask about him when they come back to visit.” Now that he’s essentially in part-time retirement, Jake’s days are a bit shorter but he’s still working.

Zoomobile: A “newer” resident to the Zoo compared to his counterparts, “Rusty” the red tailed hawk came from California. Because he was too imprinted to be released into the wild, he came to the Minnesota Zoo where he spent time in the Bird Show before finding his permanent home in Zoomobile.

Did you know? Red-tailed hawks are very common; you may have seen a few of them soaring high on your drive to the Minnesota Zoo! These birds of prey are found all over North America and beyond, and are very efficient hunters. It’s also been said they are a monogamous species.