Some wonderful news...and some sad news.....

Time to get everyone caught up.
I've included in this post the release pictures of Rojo, the golden eagle. The release was at Horse Canyon in the Emery county area of Utah. The
gentleman releasing Rojo is Joe Tryon, and Iraq war vet that served 2 tours. What an honor to have him do this release. Rojo flew around, over us and around us, then lit down, taking in his new home. I hope he will do well and make beautiful eagle babies when he's older.




The second release was Cleo, and for everyone following her dilemma, it was sure wonderful to see her in the air. Her's was one of those releases you never forget. She flew in circles, climbing higher and higher over the Dead Horse Point area of Grand county. For those who don't know what this is, Google it. It's like the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale. She finally flew so high, we could not see her any longer. Wonderful!












We had one of the vet's involved in her care, Dr. Nicole MacLaren, do the release.






























Since then, we've had a red-tail hawk come in from Grand county. The poor thing didn't survive the drive to get him here. He was so thin. It appeared he was down due to illness and not injury as no broken bones were found on his exam. I'm glad his suffering is over but I wish we had the oppertunity to help and possibly save him.

We also have a cottontail that was brought to us after wildlife officers confiscated it from some people that had raised it illegally. Now thanks to these 'people', this bunny is not afraid of people or house pets. UGH!!!!!
I'm hoping, (it'll be a long shot) we can teach it these things by hanging out with another cottontail. Best Friends has one in the same predicament, so maybe they can help each other out.
Hopefully we can get the transfer done before Christmas.





We also had a new eagle come in and a new Great Horned owl. They came in the same day. Of course it was a day I left town with my husband, so Connie and Don had to go get them both. The Great Horned owl had a traumatic wing injury. It appeared to have been caused due to electrocution. The entire wing was "dead" so he had to be euthanized. Unfortunately, due to the extent of his injury, surgery could not have been performed to remove such a large portion of
that wing, so this is why euthanizing him was the only option.



The eagle was also in very bad shape. When Connie and Don found her, she was covered with frost. She would have surely died that night had not some deer hunters in the area come across her and notified the Sheriff's department. There were so many things wrong with her, it wasn't apparent what the primary problem was. She really wasn't thin, but her feet were balled up tight and she couldn't move them. She could move her legs somewhat, but not her feet. This can be caused by several things, so we started antibiotics, pain medication and gave her some SQ fluids to warm her up and tube fed her. We then noticed she seemed to have something bothering her airway. We could not see anything, so got her into my vets in Payson for a bunch of testing.
We drew blood for several things including heavy metal poisoning, which could cause the feet to be like this. We also tested for infections and West Nile Virus and metabolic problems. With the x-rays, the bill is close to $1,000 just for all of that.
The x-rays showed nothing obstructing her airway and her lungs were clean. Once the other
tests started coming in, we were still in the dark. Everything was ok. Some of the chemistries were a little off, but nothing life threatening. We continued her supportive care and bathing her three times a day since she couldn't deficate properly. But even after a brief period where she got her appetite back, things quickly got worse. We got her back into the vets at she was in respiratory distress and he looked again for foreign matter in her airway and took more x-rays, which again showed nothing. She died two days later. She fought so hard, but whatever this was, finally won.........
I took her back up to the vets for a necropsy, which didn't tell us what we were looking for, so we sent off many tissue samples to be examined and some cultures of internal organs. I'll keep you posted as to their results. We named her Hera; she isn't suffering anymore. I hope she's flying high and pain free where she's at. I just wish we could have found the answer and saved her.


Finally, we just got in an adult male Prairie falcon. He looks to have tangled with a barbed wire fence. He has some trauma to his right wing and came in with a concussion as well. Right now, we're trying to get some food down him, which is no-small-feat for these falcons. They are vicious! We're treating him with antibiotics for his wound and pain meds. He also had lice when he came in, so we're treating him for that as well. We've named him Ari. I don't have pic's of him at this time, but will take some and post them next time.

Thanks for checking in...........
and remember the wildlife this holiday. Donations are always needed for the work we do. Our medical supplies are not donated, we have to purchase everything, the vet work as well. Surgeries,-x-rays and other supplies all cost us like they would cost you at your doctors. It's an ongoing need, 365 days a year. Help us help them!

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

Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation
725 North Carbonville Road
Price, Utah 84501
435-650-3441

Finally.....a new posting

Well, I'm sure you've all noticed the change of the blog template. I'm not happy about it, but it's entirely my fault. In trying to change something, I completely deleted the old 'look'. I don't know how it happened since I was just looking around at a possible tab addition and voila! I had this template saved from a while ago and although I like it, it's not at all the old one and since I'm not computer savvy at all, well, until someone with amazing talent volunteers to help with some computer work, it will have to do, but it's only temporary.
So I'm mad, but only at myself!
A lot to update you on.
First, Rojo, the young golden eagle was finally released! We tossed him at an area in Emery county called Horse Canyon. A local Iraq vet, Joe Tryon, did the honors. The next blog will show those pictures as the other updates listed will contain pic's and I don't want to crowd this post.

The 3 robins are FINALLY in Florida. Yes, the paperwork came through (thank you Federal people) so at 6 AM one morning, they were put on a flight to Florida. I'm so happy they can have this new life and didn't have to be put down. My volunteer Diane paid for their travel expenses since Lori, their new caregiver, was not able to cover them as custom usually dictates.

We had a ring-neck dove come in that a cat had tangled with. I wasn't sure if the bird could survive, but with time and a lot of medication, she sure did and was released at Connie's house. She also had a broken leg and we let it heal without surgery as the feet do not have to be perfect as for a raptor. Once the pain subsided, she was putting weight on it and we could clearly see, she would be just fine.

More Mexican Free-Tailed bats have come in. We were able to release all of them. When I was in Salt Lake getting the robins on their way, another MFT bat came in so I just had Marc, my new sub-permittee take over with that one since it was there in Salt Lake and he released it the next day. Thank goodness, most of these bat calls require hydration 1 or 2 times and can be on their way. I hope they all are in a much warmer climate enjoying themselves.




Cleo, the golden eagle that went through a windshield here in Carbon county has been to the optical vets and my regular vets to repeat blood work. She will be headed to the optical vets again this Friday. Hopefully, we'll get the OK on her eye condition and then she will shortly be released. Her blood work looked great.







Kachina is doing very well. We still need at least one sponser for her so if you can help with this, you won't be sorry. We'll send you personal updates and a photo of her. Right now, she's in Moab with my volunteer Dave. He's working with her, getting her used to being handled by people. She's an amazing bird and has been through a great deal. Please contact me at secondchancewildliferehab@yahoo.com if you can help with her expenses with a donation.

Well, I'd better get to posting pictures, so thanks for being so patient. If anyone out there can help with computer (web-site) design, please let me know. Of course, we run soley on donations and are non-profit.

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

Here a bat, there a bat, everywhere a bat, bat.....

Yes, migration is still taking place. Some species move sooner than others, while some don't migrate at all. And then there are the exceptions, like, yes, this species normally migrates, but in certain geographic areas, doesn't. Another one of those things that wildlife rehabilitators need to know.
It's been mildly busy around here. Just about every patient has been due to migratory issues in one way or the other.
I picked up an adult sparrow at a local nursing home that was completely covered in some sort of oil or grease. Poor thing was extremely thin and several feathers were missing. I suspect once he because soiled, since he could not fly, this made him an easy target for a predator and that's how he lost the feathers. I gave him his first Dawn bath, but he did not survive the night. I'm sure the toxins in the substance on his feathers had entered his body and that's why he was found and was easily caught and this also caused his death.
People, don't leave things laying around your yard or open garage that may harm something else. Besides being careless, it can contaminate indiscriminately.


We also got in a ring-neck dove that tangled with a cat. Boy he sure looked rough, but he's beginning to look much better. We treated him with antibiotics as well because of the cat. He has new feathers growing in, but he does have a broken right leg. With time and rest, we're hoping that he can be released.

We also had an Eared Grebe come in. This little guy had been migrating through Utah and apparently just became exhausted. He was found on someones porch in Moab, so we gave him some time to rest and sent him on his way.
They need water to take off, so we took him out to Desert Lake in Emery county and put him on the water. Those Grebe's are so cute!
The picture shows how interesting their feet are. They are in a group all to themselves. Their feet are referred to as 'lobed'. This, and the fact that their legs are set far to the back of their bodies makes them excellent divers and swimmers, but completely helpless on land. When found on land, people always call me telling me the 'duck' has broken legs. There are several species of Grebe's and they are all just wonderful! This little guy was in his winter plumage, so he doesn't look like the pictures in a lot of reference materials, unless they show the different plumage's.






We also have had two more bats come in. Both of them are Mexican Free-Tail bats. One is doing much better than the other. I don't have pictures of them for this posting, but I will for the next.
We're calling them, Bruce Wayne (I didn't name him) and Sid Vicious (what an attitude).




Last, but not least, we are looking for people to sponsor the newest Red-Tail hawk, Kachina. She will be with us for awhile and this will get expensive. If you're interested, click on the questions tab or go to the donate tab. For each $50 donation, I will send you and sponsorship certificate with her picture. This would also make a great gift for someone that loves animals/wildlife. I'll post a couple of pictures of her. She is the hawk that was found in Eagle Mountain, Utah, almost dead. She's doing great now!
Thanks everyone,
Debbie................
Mark your correspondence titled Kachina for the sponsorships.

A sad note.........

Today is a sad day here. Iris the Ibis, fought the good fight, but lost her battle today and died. She hung in there, so we did as well, hoping all along that the little bits of 'gain' we were seeing meant she would survive, but with all the fluids and food we put down her, (enough for a bird 3X her size), it just wasn't enough.
We'll miss her and we know she's better off wherever she is at (hopefully Ibis heaven).
Debbie..............