08/28/2026
“The hardest part of being caregivers to our wildlife friends, those little pieces of herself that nature lends us for a time, is when nature calls them back.”
We are heartbroken to share that Wildlife Ambassador Eragon, Five Rivers MetroParks’ red-tailed hawk, has passed away yesterday after a short illness. Due to his advanced age (likely in his late 20s) his immune system was not as strong as it once was and he contracted an infection that spread to his lungs.
Eragon came to MetroParks in 2022 from Oaken Acres Wildlife Center in Illinois, where he was treated for wounds that left him with partial blindness in one eye and an amputated wing. Because he could not be returned to the wild, Eragon found a home at Germantown MetroPark under the great care of our education staff and volunteers. While at MetroParks, Eragon attended many festivals and visited many classrooms, libraries and more, meeting around 18,000 people of all ages.
Eragon thrived in MetroParks’ care due to the love of our community and the hard work, dedication, protection and deep affection from our staff and volunteers. Our Wildlife Ambassadors aren’t just our “co-workers,” they become our family.
If you met Eragon, we hope you’ll share a happy memory with our staff and volunteers, who are very saddened by his passing.
