Law enforcement helped a hawk trapped beneath a pool cover in a Tampa backyard, WSVN reported.
In body camera footage, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy captures the bird with a net, removes it from the pool area, and stays with it until it can fly away.
Here's what to know
The bird was found under a pool cover after getting into a screened-in pool enclosure.
A Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy used a net to catch the hawk and remove it from the enclosure.
The deputy then tried to let the hawk go near nearby woods, but the bird initially seemed too frightened to leave.
Instead of walking away, the deputy stayed with it and continued coaxing it until the hawk finally took off.
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The hawk was trapped in a residential setting — a screened pool enclosure and a pool cover — where ordinary backyard features can become hazards for wildlife moving through suburban neighborhoods.
More background
Many close encounters between people and wild animals happen where homes, yards, and other built environments overlap with animal habitat.
The BBC reported that human-wildlife encounters are rising as human activity, land development, and rising temperatures push people and animals closer together.
In this case, the hawk found its way into a screened pool structure but could not simply fly back out.
Once it got under the pool cover, the enclosure and the cover may have made it harder for the bird to orient itself or escape, turning a common residential setup into a trap.
A wild raptor inside a pool area can be dangerous for homeowners to handle on their own, and it can be even more dangerous for the animal if it panics and crashes into screens, fencing, or other barriers.
The deputy's body camera footage showed the hawk was still frightened even after they brought it outside.
What's being done?
Inside the screened pool area, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy first secured the hawk with a net, likely reducing the risk of the bird injuring itself as it tried to escape.
After that, the deputy took the hawk out of the enclosure and attempted to release it near the woods instead of leaving it in the pool area, where it had already become trapped. That gave the bird a clearer path away from the residential structure.
The hawk did not leave on the first attempt, so the deputy continued patiently rather than forcing the moment. Body camera footage showed the deputy coaxing the bird until it eventually flew off on its own, ending the encounter without further visible harm.
Once the hawk lifted off, the deputy quickly snapped a photo before it disappeared.
Where can I learn more?
Rescues like this often happen when wild animals get trapped, entangled, or stranded near people. Here are a few stories about deputies, volunteers, and officials helping alligators, woodchucks, and ospreys in dangerous situations.
• In Florida, a sheriff's deputy removed an alligator from a pool after residents panicked.
• In Essex County, volunteer rescuers freed a woodchuck from a dangerous predicament at headquarters.
• In Colorado, officials found a young osprey dead after a state park entanglement turned fatal.
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