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Apr 4, 2008 8:08 am US/Eastern
Fenway Hawk Attack Victim: Alexa Rodriguez
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Once again, an A-Rod got an unfriendly welcome from the home of Red Sox Nation.
This time, it was 13-year-old Alexa Rodriguez and not the Yankees All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
She was touring Fenway Park on a school trip Thursday and was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from her scalp. Rodriguez wasn't seriously hurt.
Vince Jennetta, a teacher who chaperoned her class trip from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., told The Boston Globe that Alexa is "a little shaken, but OK."
The hawk was perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate while the group toured the stadium. The hawk, which had a nest nearby, flew at the girl and swooped with its talons extended, scratching her scalp.
The Red Sox said the Boston Animal Rescue League removed the nest and the egg Thursday afternoon in hopes of keeping the hawk away. Wildlife officials said the hawk has built nests at Fenway Park since 2002 but she had never laid an egg before.
Officials said the hawk's egg was not viable after it had rolled off a knit cap the hawk had used inside the nest and didn't survive the cold conditions.
They said the hawk poses no threat to fans on Opening Day because the large number of people will likely scare her away. Wildlife officials said they will continue to dismantle any nests she makes that become large enough for her to lay another egg until she moves locations.
Opening Day at Fenway Park is next Tuesday, April 8.
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(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
