Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation: FINALLY SOME TIME FOR AN UPDATE..........

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

FINALLY SOME TIME FOR AN UPDATE..........

Well, today is a little slower so I have time to post.
Orphan season is still in full swing. We have released several robins, our Meadowlark, the Red

tree squirrels, Starlings, House finches and I'm sure I've missed something on the list!

It's pretty much all a blur without looking at records.
We now have 2 new hawks in our care, both of which were seized by the state of Utah, Department of Wildlife Resources. They had belonged to a local falconer that is pretty scary. One is a female Prairie falcon, the other is a male Harris hawk. My job is to evaluate them both and notify the state of my opinion. Hopefully we can get them both back into the wild where they belong!
Ivy, the female golden eagle, goes for surgery tomorrow. Her pins will be removed and then we can truly learn if she will be releasable, which of course, is our goal. This will be her third surgery.

Both the boys, Zuma and Fremont are still doing well, healing and hanging out together.
We now have two Magpie's in rehab. They are getting along great! I believe we have both a male and a female. The smaller of the two, which I believe is female, has an injury to her right hip area. The bones are not involved, but the is a huge hole looking down into her body. We're treating her for infection and trying to get that hole to close up. At least she has a buddy which is very important for any of the corvid family. They do not do well alone.
We also have a litter of orphaned Rock squirrels. They came in at deaths door. In fact, I'd bet the lady that brought them in to us probably thinks they have died. This little guy has no shame. How adorable!

They have done very well and look wonderful. They still have a couple of weeks in rehab to bulk up and then they will be released together, just like the tree squirrels.

I had some people from the states' wildlife department come to meet me and get my thoughts on rehabilitation here in Utah and what my concerns were.
Hopefully it wasn't just lip service, but supposedly things are suppose to get a little better, cooperation wise, between we rehabilitators and the DWR (wildlife department). I'll believe it when I see it. I know how these different offices work. They are all DWR, but you'd never know it. They all do whatever they want, enforce the laws they want, not enforce the laws they want and so on. It's ridiculous.
I'll include some squirrel pics's today, but the release pics, well, I'll save those for next time. I will include Bubble's release pic's today from Desert Lake in Emery County, Utah.
Thanks for checking in,

Debbie

1 comment:

Unknown said...: those babies are so cute! only Debbie could help them and bring them back to 100%!; June 20, 2009 at 9:37 AM

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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

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

FINALLY SOME TIME FOR AN UPDATE..........

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