Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation: February 2011

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Will it ever warm up?

I know that most of the country is freezing right now, but this is ridiculous. When you have animals to care for, meaning water needs to be running, not frozen, it's very difficult to do your job. We are suppose to be getting more snow and colder weather in the next few days, just about the time I will be taking Crash in to have his pins removed in his leg...great timing.

The little Sharp-shinned hawk had her pins removed last week, so she is out in a large mew, moving around and getting up on high perches, which is wonderful.

She is also outside full-time now. We will be working with that wing, making sure it has it's full capabilities and then hopefully, she can be released sometime in March maybe.

Miss Moon was released this past Monday. Pam Riddle with the BLM assisted us getting her down to Moab and then onto Bill Sloan with

the Parks Department. He was heading towards the area she needed to be released so he found her a nice spot and did the honors. I hope she finds her mate and all will get back to normal. We took a picture of her before I headed out to meet Pam in Green River. What a sweetie!

We've been called out several times the last week or so for downed eagles, that weren't really down. Connie went out and checked on two of them along with another volunteer of ours, but all eagles in the vicinity flew away, so they obviously were OK. You never know so it's best to check. This time of year, eagles tend to eat at road kill, putting them in extreme danger for being hit as well. They don't move off of the road kill easily, like a Crow would, but it takes some effort and large semi-trucks going by at high speeds create a wind force that can actually pull them into the truck as it's going by. It's a scary situation.

We moved Teasdale out into a large mew now. His wing is healed as it's going to get.

Here in a few more days, I may chose to put him out into the large flight with the other two Great Horned owls. I sure hope he can pass the flight test in time as his personality is that of a bird that really needs to be free and away from people. He was so bored in his enclosure that he started destroying his surroundings. This is a perch that he ripped the carpeting from.

These are such intelligent birds and in captivity, although it's for their own recuperation, they resist and want desperately to leave.

Crash is still being his normal self. Still not wanting to eat on his own. We are going to try giving him some large food that he should recognize and hopefully, he will want to tear at it and then eat. His leg has healed enough that this shouldn't be a problem at this point.

Migration should be started shortly, so keep your eyes and binoculars to the skies.

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

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Will it ever warm up?

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