Monday, December 24, 2012

Ho Ho Ho and the snow keeps falling and the wind keeps blowing

 
 
 
It's rehabbings slow season, but that doesn't mean we aren't getting in patients in need.  These are two of our newest, a Great Horned owl that was hit by a vehicle in Salt Lake county and cannot see due to the trauma.  We hope that she will regain some sight, but at this point, it's obvious that she will be non-releasable.  Such a sad way for her way of life to end for her.  If some vision returns, we hope to put her into an educational program.  Only time will tell.
 
 
 
 
 
Another little angel is our new young pigeon.  She was found and brought to us by animal control.  She has been burned on the top of her head.  It looks like an electrocution, but there is no exit wound, so we are not sure how this came to be.  She is doing quite well and is eating on her own and new feathers have started to grow in.  No broken bones, just this injury.  Odd......



The patients come year round and we work year round, 7 days a week.  If you appreciate the work we do and understand that only wildlife rehabilitators work with injured or orphaned wildlife, then please support our work as it is all accomplished through donations from people like you.  All state and federal wildlife agencies bring us our patients, along with other agencies and the public as well.  This is where the connection ends.  These animals are brought to us because 'they need something'.  All medical care is provided by us, the wildlife rehabilitators and if necessary, surgery is performed by the veterinarians we work with.  There is great expense involved. 
Thank you for your continued support for the wildlife................

Merry Christmas,
Debbie

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A cold December post...........

We have now sold out of our calendars.  Thank you everyone who purchased one.  Our needs are year round.  We don't get patients just this time of year.....this is just like an emergency room, patients coming and going all year long, all needing something, that's why they are here.

We must keep our facility stocked with everything we need for those encounters.  We cannot survive with donations from those that bring us patients, that won't keep the doors open.  It's an ongoing effort, so please consider ongoing support for our wildlife. 

Our female Red-Tail hawk is doing well.  We will soon be moving her into our flight to get into condition for her release.  Right now, we have our Crow (a gunshot victim) and California Gull hanging out together in the large flight.  I need to see what each of them can do and since they are not a threat to each other and have a large area, they can hang out there and they seem to be enjoying each others company.  I have remote cameras hooked up in the flight and am able to watch what's going on throughout the day.  It's been quite entertaining. 












Cisco on transfer day
 
Cisco, our non-releasable Golden eagle was finally transferred to the Iowa Tribe in Oklahoma.  He's a sweet boy and we will miss him.  Right now, we have one eagle here and other eagle in southern Utah using a 100 foot flight belonging to Best Friends/Wild Friends department.  We are trying to determine if that eagle, Sia, can be released. 





Danny, our Great Horned owl that is also non-releasable due to his injuries, will be headed to Kansas, hopefully this week.  The paperwork was finally finished and he had his health exam today for his permit to cross state lines.  We are so happy for him.  We are still waiting on the paperwork to be finalized for our one-eyed Swainsons hawk.  He will be going to a facility in New York as an educational bird.  Hopefully, we can get the paperwork finalized before Christmas. 


We also have a Northern Flicker, a member of the woodpecker family, admitted as a patient.  He came in after hitting his head on something and had a concussion.  He also may have had a cat messing with him once on the ground.  We treated him as though that happened since if it had and we hadn't treated him, we would have lost him.  You only get one shot when that happens so better safe than sorry!  Well that's it for now.


Stay warm and don't forget about the importance of water for all wildlife/birds this time of year.




Debbie..............


Feathered brothers and sisters, you came to us broken and as you bled…….we saw you desperate, dehydrated, desiccated, diseased, distressed, emaciated, famished, frayed, frightened, helpless, hungry, ragged, ravenous, shaken, shocked, shot, sickly, stressed, stunned, tattered, thirsty, traumatized, torn, weary and wounded. Defiantly, you stood us off with your last breath as we tried to tend to you. We saw you come in as cute, naked, fuzzy, cuddly youth, as mischievous, defiant adolescents, as fierce, regal rulers of the sky and as cunning, maimed elders whose time on earth was almost done. You endeared yourselves to us, bit us, charmed us, footed us, delighted us, hissed at us, talked to us, mantled at us, and graced us with your presence.

Some of you mended and were able to go on your way, never looking back. Some of you were injured in ways that prevented you from going, so you stayed with us to teach us…….And we came to love you. Others were too far gone, and you went home - where you fly free from pain with the Great One. All of you have touched us, and we are changed because of you.

used with permission by Arlene Powers


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