It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Pip, our Northern Hawk Owl chick, who joined Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center just weeks ago. Pip died on Sunday, August 24, after a brief but deeply meaningful time with us.
Pip arrived at Shaver’s Creek at the end of July, marking a historic moment for our wildlife program. As one of the first Northern Hawk Owls raised for conservation education in the United States, Pip represented a new chapter for our center and inspired excitement and curiosity among our staff, visitors, and broader community.
Shortly after Pip’s arrival, our team noticed a subtle breathing issue and began working closely with veterinary experts at Penn State and nationwide to understand and treat it. While we saw some initial improvement, Pip’s condition worsened last week, leading us to seek advanced care. Despite the best efforts of our team and specialists, Pip was unable to recover. We do not yet know the exact cause of his decline, and we are continuing to seek answers.
This is an emotional time for our wildlife team, for everyone at Shaver’s Creek, and for those in the community who had the chance to meet Pip and experience his unique presence. Though his time with us was brief, Pip brought immense joy, wonder, and hope. He helped us imagine new possibilities for conservation education and created meaningful connections with everyone who met him. Pip’s legacy will continue to shape our work and inspire future efforts in wildlife care and education.
We plan to share more information as it becomes available and are grateful to everyone who welcomed Pip into our community and supported his journey. He will be deeply missed.