PAXTON ― Authorities are investigating after a hawk was discovered in Paxton with its wings and tail feathers sheared off, something that an experienced animal rescuer and rehabilitator said she's never seen before.

Raptor Tales Rescue, which took a damaged hawk in, said the incident "was 100% intentional based on the number of feathers cut and how clean it appears."

A “barbaric” case of animal abuse is under investigation in central Massachusetts after a hawk was found in the bitter cold, unable to fly. A homeowner in Paxton found the red-tailed hawk sitting on a woodpile on her property Thursday afternoon.