NOT FOUND: Retiring_Katite.JPGIn the wild, Red-tailed Hawks live about 10-15 years. In captivity, they might reach 15-20 years. But Katite, the resident Red-tailed Hawk at the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center, is over 30 years of age.
As a fledgling, Katite fell out of her nest and was found by someone who knew little about the nutritional requirements of a growing raptor. Her well-meaning captor fed her a diet of hamburger and hot dogs – rich in protein, but lacking in calcium and other vitamins necessary to grow strong bones and muscles. As a result, by the time Katite was turned over to wildlife authorities, she was suffering from severe rickets and other ailments that resulted in permanent physical handicaps. Unable to fly, unable to hunt, and unable to live in the wild, Katite came to live at the museum in 1979. There, animal caretakers, specially trained in raptor care, took Katite under their wings and nursed her back to health. They also gave her the name “Katite,” which means hawk” in Maidu. Although Katite has never been able to fly, her destiny has taken flight in education for 30 years.
Red-tailed Hawks are native raptors to the Sacramento area. They are found in a wide range of environments, including seaside, prairie, mountain, wooded, suburban -- and even inner-city. Many people often observe the hawks sitting on a fence or telephone pole waiting for prey. These carnivores also hunt by soaring high in the sky, scanning the ground below them for small mammals, reptiles and even other birds. Red-tailed Hawks mate for life and spend up to five years raising their young.
As a hard-working member of the Discovery Museum educational staff, Katite has traveled to countless schools as part of the museum’s animal outreach program, and has allowed thousands of children to learn about the lives of raptors and their place in the ecology of our region. Katite has received hundreds of letters over the years, thanking her for her inspirational example and the up-close (but not too close!) experience with a beautiful, live Red-tailed Hawk.
Katite has also appeared regularly at the Discovery Museum’s Wildlife presentations, offered at the museum each weekend and every day during the summer. She and one of her handlers can often be seen strolling the museum grounds, visiting with guests. Although Katite cannot fly, she still needs regular exercise, and has a roomy enclosure with ample space to relax when she is not working.
Now, with a full working life behind her, Katite is ready to retire from public life. Her co-workers at the Discovery Museum are happy to report that Katite will live out the remainder of her life in a quiet, secure, undisclosed location where she will be cared for by people who she is comfortable with.
Katite’s many friends will have an opportunity to see her one more time during her last public appearances on April 18th and 19th at noon and 2pm. It’s been a great career for a very unusual red-tailed hawk.