Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation: Well let's try this again..........................

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Well let's try this again..........................

This will be the third time I've done this post, so let's hope this one will work and won't disappear when I hit "publish".

There has been a lot going on...............

Maybe I'll do a couple of small posts as to not make this too daunting.

First an update on the Ferruginous hawk nestlings. They are exercising their wings and moving around just like 'big hawks'. I'll post a few pictures of the changes as they have grown.

The

oldest is a male and the other a female. Their nest and part of the tree it was on collapsed during a severe wind/rain storm. One adult was found dead several yards from the nest and the other has not been seen. This is very suspicious.

The babies will soon be out in our flight, practicing the flying and learning to kill.

I''m proud of the work we've done. They want NOTHING to do with us and have all their wildness to them.

Moving on, we released our little Screech owl that came to us from Moab. Cute little guy. He did well and kill tested well, so we released him in an area near here. We never did come up with what had happened to him. He seemed a little 'off' for a day or two, but nothing major and no real signs of a concussion. Sometimes we just don't know the story since

they aren't talking and usually there are no humans

around in these remote areas our patients generally come from, so no witnesses either. I guess this one will remain a mystery.

We are also caring for a litter of three Least Chipmunks. Cute little guys. Feedings every couple of hours. They are just opening their eyes now and their ears are opening as well.

I just love the little mammals. SMOOCH!

Of course, they are named Simon, Theodore and Alvin. (What did you expect)?! And YOU try to get clear pictures of little Chipmunks.....yeh right!

And finally, Jupiter, our Red-Tail hawk was released. He was found in Sevier county on the
ground and again, no real reason for being down.

We gave him supportive care and once he was a little stronger, started kill testing him and when that went well, sent him on his way in Spanish Fork Canyon. A friend released him. That is Chase holding Jupiter in the picture.

Well, that's all I've got time for right now. I'll try to do another short post here in a few days.

Debbie

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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

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Well let's try this again..........................

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