An update from Hayley Matanowski:
“It’s harder than it looks,” I thought to myself as I fought to keep my arm steady under Carson’s weight. The three pound Red-Tailed Hawk felt more like 20 pounds after a few minutes perched on my glove.
As the Office Manager, animal care isn’t exactly in my job description. But when asked if I would like to help out with our raptors and herps, I jumped at the opportunity.
In my youth it was fairly normal to see me inspecting a frog, snake, or any other critter I could get my hands on. Much of the time I spent outdoors was dedicated to finding and observing wild animals. I have always loved them and never thought I would be so lucky to work with them regularly.
There are feeding and general care routines that I complete every Thursday to help lessen the load for Haley and Mollie. The three of us are a team, sharing experiences and new animal behaviors with each other when they arise. Haley leads the effort, giving Mollie and I precise direction for new tasks and training procedures.
My most notable achievement so far is successfully transferring and holding Carson on my gloved hand under Haley’s careful supervision.
Occasional moments of uncertainty and fear are far outweighed by the excitement and pure joy I regularly feel while caring for our critters. Working with the Museum’s education animals is just another perk of my wonderful job at the Cable Natural History Museum!
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