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'Harvey The Hurricane Hawk' Hunkers Down With Cabbie During Storm

Nina Golgowski
Updated

A hawk became an unlikely sidekick to a Texas cab driver after seeking refuge inside the man’s vehicle and apparently refusing to leave.

Houston driver William Bruso said he was stocking up on supplies on Friday ahead of Hurricane Harvey when he returned to find the bird sitting on his passenger seat.

“He looks like he’s scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on,” Bruso narrates in one of 10 YouTube videos documenting the bird’s surprise visit. “He just kind of hopped on in and doesn’t want to leave. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Bruso said he tried to shoo the hawk away, to no avail. Videos later showed the animal perched on the door of his parked car, still refusing to fly away. Bruso eventually took the bird inside and gave it chicken hearts to snack on.

A hawk perches on William Bruso's gloved hand after refusing to fly away. (Photo: William Bruso/YouTube)
A hawk perches on William Bruso's gloved hand after refusing to fly away. (Photo: William Bruso/YouTube)

It didn’t take long for the feathered refugee to earn the name “Harvey the Hurricane Hawk” from Bruso ― as well as a flock of concerned and curious fans.

Harvey stayed in Bruso’s home overnight, but a worker with the Texas Wildlife Rehab Coalition was seen scooping the bird up on Saturday and taking it to a shelter for professional care.

“He’s been free to go, any time now, but they’re going to take him,” Bruso said as a woman with TWRC retrieved Harvey. “He may need to be rehabilitated so everyone knows he’s in good hands.”

A TWRC spokeswoman confirmed to HuffPost in an email on Sunday that the bird is “safe with a licensed rehabilitator.” She also shared a video of the hawk in a cage.

“He has an injury that is preventing him from flying, so would not have survived the storm if he was not picked up,” an unidentified woman is heard saying in the video.

The woman also notes that road flooding is preventing rescuers from reaching the wildlife center to perform an X-ray on the bird. Once the roads clear up, the hawk and other animals will undergo full checkups, she says.

TWRC accepts donations to care for the animals it rescues through its website.

This story has been updated to include comment from TWRC.

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Steve Culver cries with his dog Otis as he talks about what he said was the, 'most terrifying event in his life,' when Hurricane Harvey blew in and destroyed most of his home while he and his wife took shelter there on in Rockport.
Steve Culver cries with his dog Otis as he talks about what he said was the, 'most terrifying event in his life,' when Hurricane Harvey blew in and destroyed most of his home while he and his wife took shelter there on in Rockport.
Ofelia Castro leads her grandchildren across a flooded street as they continue an hours long trek from their flooded house in the Edgewood area of South Houston to a relatives apartment miles away.
Ofelia Castro leads her grandchildren across a flooded street as they continue an hours long trek from their flooded house in the Edgewood area of South Houston to a relatives apartment miles away.
Aaron Tobias who said he lost everything stands in what is left of his home in Rockport. Mr. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived but he stayed there and rode it out. 
Aaron Tobias who said he lost everything stands in what is left of his home in Rockport. Mr. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived but he stayed there and rode it out. 
Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen in Rockport.
Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen in Rockport.
People gather supplies out of destroyed homes to take back to a shelter near City-By-The Sea, Texas.
People gather supplies out of destroyed homes to take back to a shelter near City-By-The Sea, Texas.
A destroyed laundromat is seen in Rockport.
A destroyed laundromat is seen in Rockport.
A destroyed apartment complex is seen on Aug. 26, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey passed through Rockport, Texas.
A destroyed apartment complex is seen on Aug. 26, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey passed through Rockport, Texas.
Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham in Rockport.
Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham in Rockport.
Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving her apartment in Rockport.
Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving her apartment in Rockport.
Charlie Company of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve arrive at the Central Mall in Port Arthur, TX on Thursday night after running rescue missions in the hardest hit areas of town throughout the day.
Charlie Company of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve arrive at the Central Mall in Port Arthur, TX on Thursday night after running rescue missions in the hardest hit areas of town throughout the day.
A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help.
A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help.
Rescue personnel help Hersey Kirk as she is airlifted into a rescue helicopter.
Rescue personnel help Hersey Kirk as she is airlifted into a rescue helicopter.
Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives in Rockport.
Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives in Rockport.
A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey in Rockport. 
A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey in Rockport. 
Damage is seen to a shopping center in Victoria, north and farther inland than Rockport.
Damage is seen to a shopping center in Victoria, north and farther inland than Rockport.
Damage is seen at a business near Rockport
Damage is seen at a business near Rockport
A damaged mobile home in Victoria.
A damaged mobile home in Victoria.
Damage to a hotel in Victoria.
Damage to a hotel in Victoria.
A business is damaged in Victoria. 
A business is damaged in Victoria. 
A light plane sits upside done at Rockport Airport. 
A light plane sits upside done at Rockport Airport. 
A sunken boat at Rockport Harbor. 
A sunken boat at Rockport Harbor. 
Destroyed houses in Rockport. 
Destroyed houses in Rockport. 
Light medium tactical vehicle's (LMTV) make their way through floodwaters near Bridge City in Texas.
Light medium tactical vehicle's (LMTV) make their way through floodwaters near Bridge City in Texas.
A car lies abandoned in Rockport. 
A car lies abandoned in Rockport. 
A police officer checks for survivors among destroyed houses in Rockport.
A police officer checks for survivors among destroyed houses in Rockport.
A gas station in Victoria.
A gas station in Victoria.
Damage to homes is seen near Rockport
Damage to homes is seen near Rockport
A sign on a Holiday Inn hotel in Victoria.
A sign on a Holiday Inn hotel in Victoria.
A burnt-out house that caught fire after Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi.
A burnt-out house that caught fire after Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi.
A house suffers roof damage in Corpus Christi. 
A house suffers roof damage in Corpus Christi. 

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.