Chewy the Harrier-Hawk

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Chewy is an African Harrier-Hawk that lives at the Dullstroom Bird of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre. Like Magdali, one of the centre’s duo of passionate managers, Chewy exchanged big city living for the romance of the countryside when she was sent to Dullstroom as a gift from the Lory Park Sanctuary in Johannesburg. Chewy’s quite a talkative lady, and treated us to a very interesting display of her flying and foraging abilities.

Chewy the Harrier Hawk
Chewy the Harrier Hawk
Chewy the Harrier Hawk (photo by Joubert)
Chewy the Harrier Hawk (photo by Joubert)
Chewy the Harrier Hawk (photo by Joubert)
Chewy the Harrier Hawk
Chewy the Harrier Hawk
Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log
Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log (photo by Joubert)
Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log
Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log
Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log (photo by Joubert)
Reward! Chewy the Harrier Hawk foraging for a snack inside a log. (photo by Joubert)

As a registered NGO receiving no government support, the Dullstroom Bird of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre relies heavily on donors, sponsors and the visiting public to fund their very important work. Their tiny staff compliment is responsible for the rehabilitation of between 80 and 200 birds of prey every year, all of them injured by or negatively impacted in another way by humans, and then releasing them back into the wild when they’ve recovered sufficiently. If you can’t visit them in person, please visit their website and, if you are able to, assist them in their efforts by making a donation (monetary or in kind).

29 thoughts on “Chewy the Harrier-Hawk”

  1. Pingback: African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) | de Wets Wild

  6. perdebytjie

    Een van my gunsteling plekke om te besoek. Ek het seker al ses vertonings bygewoon. Magdalie is ‘n besondere mens en haar liefde vir die voëls is ongelooflik!Al die roofvoëls daar bied ‘n wonderlike geleentheid om te sien hoe hulle in lewende lywe lyk. Dankie Dries, dit was nou baie besonders!

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Ek stem heeltemal saam met jou, Dina. Dit is n fantastiese plek waar goeie werk gedoen word en beslis die moeite werd om weer en weer te besoek en op ander maniere te ondersteun, en ek hoop hierdie reeks posts wat ons bymekaar gesit het help so bietjie daarmee. En Magdali, met haar aansteeklik optimistiese persoonlikheid, is n fees om na te luister – mens hang aan haar lippe!

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  9. Anne

    I still tend to think of them as Gymnogenes, probably because the name is short and rolls off the tongue easily, although in ‘formal’ mode I don’t refer to them as that anymore. A pair of them live in town – nesting on the university campus and roaming across town for food. We have had them perching in the large trees in our garden a few times over the years. They are always a magnificent sight.

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      I also much prefer “gymnogene”, Anne. As you say, it just fits so much better. They’ve become a regular sight here in Pretoria as well; in fact we had one passing low over our home just a few minutes ago. This is of course most welcome, but sadly also brings them into greater risk.

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Oh I wish you could experience Chewy in real life, Lois. She’s such a chatterbox – you’ll see in most pictures her mouth is wide open, and that’s not because she’s trying to catch her breath. Such a sweet bird and a great ambassador for her kind.

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