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Hike the trails of the Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley and you might see a red-tailed hawk, an owl or an opossum - but probably never all at the same time. Until now. A new permanent exhibit has brought all of these creatures into several large outdoor aviaries that invite patrons to get up close.
But this isn't a zoo. Each of the 30 or so feathered or four-legged animals is a rescue, receiving care from the Volunteers for Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.
"The animals in the aviaries can't be returned to the wild because of their injuries or because they've lost their fear of humans," says education coordinator Lauren Schulz.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE
Each enclosure is home to an individual species: red-tailed hawks, owls (barred, great horned and Eastern screech), doves, opossums and crows. All are native to Long Island. The circular wood-and-wire aviaries are like gazebos, of sorts.
"This is really beautiful....