Trapper John rescues Cooper's Hawk.

John Schmidt, aka "Trapper John," safely captured and released this Cooper's hawk that was unable to find its way out of a warehouse. Trapper John is an on-call rescuer for the Humane Society of Louisiana.

(Jefferson) - Cox Cable recently discovered that an unusual bird had flown into one of its warehouses, located at 342 Edwards Ave, and couldn't find its way out. To assist the bird, who turned out to be a Cooper's Hawk, whose numbers are finally increasing after several years of decline, Cox employees contacted John Schmidt, a licensed wildlife conservationist and on-call rescuer for the Humane Society of Louisiana, who was called to the scene to assess the situation. John decided that it was best to try and trap the bird, which has short, broad wings and a long, round-ended tail with dark bands, do a health evaluation, and try to release the bird.

Using night goggles and a net, John was able to capture the bird after several attempts. After being fed and watered, the bird was released unharmed. "We are pleased that Cox Cable knew to call in an expert like John to deal with this situation. As wildlife habitat becomes scarcer, we will be interacting with more species and different animals in our urban settings, so it is very important that we have experts like John, who has caught virtually every type of wild bird and creature, including alligators, mallards, and boars, who knows how to handle wildlife and where to release them. Most of us, even those of us in the animal protection field, lack this training and skill," says Jeff Dorson, Executive Director of the Humane Society.

John Schmidt, otherwise known as Trapper John, may be reached by calling 504-415-5504. The Humane Society of Louisiana can be reached by calling 1-888-6-humane or by visiting their website at www.humanela.org