Red-tailed hawk found stuck in the grill of a vehicle has been released back into the wild

ONALASKA (AP) — A red-tailed hawk has been rehabilitated and is ready to be released in the Chippewa Valley after it survived a 140-mile journey stuck in the grill of a vehicle.

A.J. the hawk was rescued in July after it collided with a vehicle north of Chippewa Falls. The driver initially thought the bird was dead and was unable to remove it from the grill.

The animal control protection and rescue supervisor at the Coulee Region Humane Society says the hawk had two broken bones in one wing. She says although raptors with badly broken wings are usually euthanized, A.J. was given a chance to recover since he had already survived such odds. The hawk was taken to the humane society, where its broken wing was healed and strengthened through exercise.

The La Crosse Tribune (http://bit.ly/1vfQqp5 ) reports A.J. was expected to be released Wednesday, October 29th.