Men sentenced for freeing Springfield zoo's hawk

SPRINGFIELD -- Two men were sentenced to two years of probation for freeing a red-tailed hawk from his enclosure at a Springfield zoo.

Sean Coleman, 21, of Glenarm, and Adam Loper, 22, of St. Paul, Minn., were sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor stemming from the 2005 caper.

The hawk named Mani had been raised in captivity and spent more than a month fending for himself before he was found 17 miles from the zoo.

Circuit Judge Leo Zappa called the prank a "stupid, stupid act."

The two were ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and donate $2,000 each to the zoological society. The money will be used for education programs and security at the zoo.