A second chance
A story of rescue and release of the lesser kestrels at the CRAS of Matera.
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2 min read
The buzzing comes suddenly, alien, too close. The hawk senses it only when it is already diving, the air rushing swiftly over its wings. It tries to turn, to force its flight, but there is no time. The propellers graze it.
A sharp blow, the wing gives way.
The hawk spirals down and crashes to the ground. Dust rises, the sky remains above it, unreachable. It lies still, dazed, as silence returns to the Murgia. In that moment, it becomes clear that there will be no second chance for it.
Until a few moments earlier, the sky had been its natural domain: wide, safe, familiar. A perfect day for hunting, interrupted by a chance encounter with the drone of an unwary tourist.
About half an hour passes.
Along a nearby trail, a hiking guide walks. They notice something on the ground that shouldn’t be there: a still, broken shape. Approaching, they recognize the injured raptor and immediately grasp the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, they stop and work to put it to safety.
Within a few hours, the hawk reaches the CRAS of Matera, the Wildlife Rescue Center. Here begins a different time, one of waiting, care, and patience. Day by day, thanks to the quiet work of volunteers who dedicate their free time to wildlife rescue, the raptor slowly regains its strength. The sky remains outside, but it is not forgotten.
Months pass. Summer advances.
By mid-August, the right moment arrives.
The lesser kestrel is released in front of the Sassi of Matera, at the end of its recovery at CRAS. The date is not random: it comes about a month before the start of the annual migration that will take the species to sub-Saharan Africa.
The release takes place during an educational event shared with the CRAS staff, with organizations involved in protecting the local environment, and with the public. It is an opportunity to explain the work of wildlife rescue and to remind people of the deep connection between Matera and this small species of falcon, present in the area for centuries.
The story of how the hawk was injured is fictionalized, but the rescue, the care, and the return to freedom are real. The hawk’s final flight represents the tangible result of daily commitment to biodiversity conservation and the coexistence of human activities and wildlife.
