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Jackrabbits At JFK Airport!


By

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 14, 2009

Modified Aug 14, 2009


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Photo of a jackrabbit at JFK by Robert Horvath

 


By

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 14, 2009

Modified Aug 14, 2009


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We've confronted many an animal on the JFK Airport tarmacs: geese, dogs, turtles. But the area is filled with other adorable beasts just waiting to cause delays. Right now, it's looking like the next enemy could be... the jackrabbit. The City Birder got the inside scoop on the unofficial zoo from Robert Horvath, who's in charge of keeping the runways clear.

"Any given day while working as a falconer at Kennedy I'll see kestrels, peregrines, osprey, jackrabbits (yep, urban legend they escaped from a shipment there over 50 years ago) and muskrat, just to name of few. Definitely makes it an adventure every day not knowing what I'll encounter there. And it isn't even migration time yet."

The City Birder says, based on the photo of this particular jackrabbit at JFK, it's likely a black-tailed one (the white-tails are usually found in more mountainous regions). Someone should really write a children's book about these airport animals... oh the things they've seen!

Tagged

airport

animals

jackrabbits

JFK


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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