Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation: October 2010

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fall is my favorite time of year........

Boy there has been a lot of animals coming in........some, the most, in serious shape and a few, well, not so bad!
Connie has been sick, so I'd love to be able to give her some time off and just when I think that can happen, well, wrong again. I wish I could find some reliable people who really want to help animals and aren't caught up in the own daily soap opera's.

I'd love to find someone to help fundraise, whether by computer or in person....we need a real go-getter! Anyone interested?

Finally, Horizon, the Golden eagle that hit a semi (yes, she hit IT) last February was

finally released. She has been through so much. Surgery to repair a major broken bone in her wing and the subsequent surgery to remove all of the pins to hold those bones together. Then, the removal of an eye. We were so hoping we could save her vision, but the damage to the eye was extensive, forcing the removal of the eye itself. Yet after all of that, she was released, back into the wild. She killed successfully here at our facility, showing she could still do what she needed to do to survive.
She caused injuries to both Connie and myself during her stay and I hold no bad feelings toward her for that, in fact, quite the opposite. I'm glad she had and still has the fight and

will to be free. As rehabilitators, we don't want 'pets', we want wild creatures who despise us and want to get the hell away from us!

She flew away, during some spectacular Fall background shots. We hope she does well and has found her mate, once again.

Click on these release pictures to get the full effect

of these shots. They are breathtaking!

We had a Magpie that came in, found in a car,
with nothing really wrong with it, other than it

related people to food. I suspect this bird had some contact with people as a nestling or fledgling and learned not to be afraid of people.
He wasn't what I would call tame or even truly habituated, but just a little too comfortable with people for my liking. His feathers were pretty dull also. We watched him and fed him and when we were sure all was well, took him for a LONG drive, away from people and near other Magpies and let him go. I hope he chooses to stay where he's not at and not return to 'civilization'. What a hoot he was! I just love those members of the Corvid family.

Well, I'll get the pictures added and head to bed. Going to the vets tomorrow with a new patient and that's a long drive to and from.
Debbie

ATTENTION

Spring is a very active wonderful time for all animals. Babies are born and learning what it takes to be wild from their parents. Unfortunately, many may end up in trouble and often times humans may try to intervene, whether or not it is necessary. The inexperienced human finding a baby bird, for instance, more than likely cannot tell if the bird is truely in need of help, or is learning to fly, something that can take a few days to master. Leaving the baby to learn what it needs is something an experienced birder can spot, but taking that baby home, thinking you're helping, when in fact, it is the worst thing possible for that baby, has now changed it's life forever.
Call a rehabilitator for answers. Yes, we want that baby to be safe from predators, but give that baby a chance. The worst thing that happens in these situations is an improper diet being fed by the 'rescuer'. This will result in death, if not right away, then in time, due to improper development. Different birds require different diets and different amounts of food at different times. Here is where a wildlife rehabilitators knowledge and experience makes all the difference. Don't try to do this yourself, only to attempt to find a rehabilitator as the baby is dying due to your 'efforts'. When they are at this stage, there is very little that can be done AND it is also illegal to attempt raising wildlife. Only a permitted wildlife rehabilitator can do this legally, for we know how to keep them wild and ready for release as well. Making them pets, besides being illegal is very selfish and is not what's best for the wildlife. They need to be free and have learned how to find the food they will need to survive in the wild and know what to avoid and learn the language of their species. There is a lot that goes into a successful rehabilitation and the orphans out there deserve the best chance possible. Don't you agree?

DID YOU KNOW...........

Wildlife rehabilitation is a profession borne of a love and concern for wild things everywhere. We wildlife rehabilitators have taken this many steps forward, increasing our knowledge, skills and techniques into a career that most people do not know exists. Most people assume that the work that a wildlife rehabilitator does is something all state wildlife agencies perform as state employees. This could not be further from the truth.
The reality is, all wildlife rehabilitation is done, in all 50 states, by us, wildlife rehabilitators. State and federal officials MAY occasionally pick up the patients that come to us, but they bring them to us at our homes and facilities, not their state or federal offices or vets offices.
Ours is a specialized field that primarily involves vet/medical expertise. No, we are not veterinarians, but many of us have extensive backgrounds in medicine (people and animals).
We also have vast backgrounds in the natural history of the patients we care for. Our work involves many fields. State and federal wildlife folks just don't have that training or background.
The other aspect of our work that is not known, is that we are not paid by anyone. Our patients don't 'belong' to anyone. They are wild beings. So when they have medical needs, there is no one to step up to this challenge except wildlife rehabilitators. Most of us work basically 24/7. Holidays are no exception. When an animal is hurt, it needs help now!
To top it all off, whatever expenses these patient incure, the bills are paid by us, for vet care, surgeries, medications, all of it. We build their homes and repair them as needed. All of our patients need something. They are not here to visit, they are in trouble. So imagine if you will......going to work everyday, driving your own vehicle to do that work and never getting a paycheck. OK, so maybe you can do that.....now imaging having a source of income from somewhere, now, this is where things get really different. When you get that money, you just turn it over to other people to pay for what your patients need, regardless of your financial needs!
This is wildlife rehabilitation.
We also are constantly pursuing continuous education of the latest finds in our field. We strive to be the best we can for those entrusted to us.
So please, support your wildlife rehabilitator in your area. They need it and believe me, it is very much appreciated.

Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fall is my favorite time of year........

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