Wildlife Rehabilitation in Utah/Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation: April 2014

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Oh, the cuteness...........................

Well, we are very busy now. We have already had 'orphans' brought in, mammals and 1 bird. With every wind storm I get very nervous. So much little ones have to deal with in the early lives. We hope that when they are found, the finders do the correct thing and find a wildlife rehabilitator to care for them. It's very important that this is done by someone licensed and permitted to care for the species in question. Not all rehabilitators are the same and are permitted for various things. Lives are at stake. So much knowledge about proper diets and socialization with conspecifics is needed. It is an insult to our profession when the average person 'decides' they can do what we do, successfully.
Moving on, we are full right now. Having six Golden Eagles with different situations.

Three are determined non-releasable and are awaiting the transfer to their forever homes in Oklahoma. They will be going to a facility run by the Comanche Nation and be paired with another Golden Eagle. If it's a good pairing, they will raise babies and those babies will be released into the wild. What a wonderful program. We have Eagles with two other Native aviaries in the U.S., another one in Oklahoma and one in New Mexico. Thankfully, three more Native aviaries will be opening in the next year or so. Two in Arizona and another in Montana. These are great resources for wildlife rehabilitators and the Eagles we care for that cannot go back into the wild.
We are also caring for other Goldens, one that may or may not be releasable. That bird is being flight tested to determine this. We have a West Nile Golden that we are hoping, with time, will be returned to the wild.

West Nile is a big problem here for our Eagles and other birds. It effects different animals differently, some more severely with little chance for recovery. It effects mammals and birds, a little differently, some problems being identical however. Golden Eagles seem able to recover from it better than some species, at least that is the experience we have had. Don't get me wrong, it's still a nasty illness, but we have had great success.
We are searching for a suitable facility for two non-releasable Crows. We have, what we believe to be a male and female and I paired them up since Crows (Corvids) do better in groups. They are such social creatures. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Corvids. They are so fun and challenging to work with.

We also have a Long-eared owl that came in with a fracture in his left wing that didn't require surgery. We are hoping he can be released in time. Cute little guy.

Always looks like he is surprised to see you. We are also caring for a Raven that was electrocuted. He came in recently and is still a handful. His injuries have made him non-releasable. He had been on the ground for at least 6 days as he is very thin and had been spotted by someone who called us about him.

Sadly, she was not able to catch him and it took 6 days for him to be found and by that time, he was very thin. We are giving him subcutaneous fluids and force feeding him right now. He is also on antibiotics for the contact injuries to both wings from the source of electricity that injured him.

We recently released a Great Horned owl that had come in with a fracture in his left wing. He came from the Hanksville area of Utah. Once the injury had healed, we flight tested him and eventually, was released near here in Price.

He was a young bird, so it was not necessary to return him to Hanksville. We are very happy that he is now free and living like he should.

Well, that is just some of our patients right now.
Thanks for following this site, 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, April 27, 2014

Oh, the cuteness...........................

Blog creator

Followers

My Blog List