The saga of red-tailed hawk Pale Male on Fifth Avenue continue! Lincoln Karim, one of Pale Male's most passionate advocates, witnessed a construction worker on the roof of 1040 Fifth Avenue spitting and throwing rocks at Pale Male. Karim detailed the incident on his website, PaleMale.com, and wrote:
A most despicable display of human behavior on 1040 Fifth Avenue (the Jackie O Building).
At 2:48:50PM I saw two men appear at the top of the water tower and look down at Palemale. I photographed them but never expected them to molest him.
2:49:02PM - The two men are noticed by Palemale. The man on the right disappears but remains close by. The remaining man spits on Palemale.
Not satisfied with spitting on Palemale the man drops an object on the innocent animal. arrow shows the object falling toward Palemale.
The man smiles as he makes his first hit. The man drops another object toward our hawk.
The man is delighted with his second hit. Palemale looses his balance as the object strikes his back.
Karim told the Post, "I usually look for the red-tailed hawk [Pale Male] in this area and when I looked up the building, these two construction workers were very close to the bird. Next thing I see, they are throwing rocks at the bird. This is a federally protected bird and this person should be arrested."
Karim says that by the time the NYPD and Department of Environmental Conservation arrived, the "contractor claimed that they just fired the man and that he left the building without them knowing." The NYPD says they will be investigating. And it's unclear whether Pale Male was hurt and how extensive his injuries might be.
Back in 2004, animal lovers were outraged when 927 Fifth Avenue decided to remove Pale Male and his companion Lola's nest. After community outcry, 927 Fifth decided to build a new nest for the hawks. Pale Male and Lola have been seen on the Upper West Side as well.
Photographs from Lincoln Karim's PaleMale.com
