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

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Busy, busy, busy with no end in sight.

Well, we are getting ready for our big annual fundraiser in Moab, Utah. Yes, that MOAB! Saturday, June 7th we will have a two part event; a morning event and an evening event. We have a Facebook page dedicated to the event. Please check it out at
https://www.facebook.com/FlockTogetherAFundraiserForUtahsWildlife

We have 8 Golden Eagles in our care. The most recent came in yesterday from near Scofield, Utah. He will be going to our vets office tomorrow for x-rays, but at this point, I don't believe he will ever fly again.

We also have a Barn Owl in our care that came in from Utah County. A recent fledgling, found at the base of a large business, covered in mirrors.

She just needs some time and we will also kill test her to make sure she can hunt successfully.

Our non-releasable Red-Tail hawk, Summit, will be going to Natures Educators in Aurora, Colorado, once all the paperwork is complete. We are so happy for him as he will be a wonderful ambassador for his species.
We are feeding many babies, as usual for this time of year.

Cottontails and squirrels. We just released our last Starling nestling today as he was ready to go.
We recently released one of our Red-Tail hawks. This bird was released just outside of Helper, Utah near a place called Emma Park. We hope she does well in that area, which is perfect terrain for a Red-Tail.

Time to go and feed again,
Thanks for checking in,
Debbie
https://www.facebook.com/FlockTogetherAFundraiserForUtahsWildlife

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Working to save birds in Utah and around the country. Please join us.

http://americanwildbirds.wordpress.com/

Second Chance Wildlife, along with other organizations and individuals is mounting an effort against the proposed 'Crow Hunt' in Utah. This is a new proposal and is being rushed through the 'system'. We only have a few weeks left for comment. You can also go to http://wildlife.utah.gov and comment on the Division of Wildlife Resources page to help this effort. This effort cannot be justified by any documentation, studies or facts. Other states that do allow this horrible violence against one of natures most intelligent creatures have yet to show they have accomplished their goals, whatever they may be. There is no consistent rationale for this proposed hunt as Crows are not consumed by people, such as ducks would be. It would simply be killing for the sake of killing and these native birds belong to everyone, not just a few that want to do them harm. The populations in Utah are very diverse and Crows are not numerous in many areas. The worst part of this whole ugly situation, is that most individuals cannot tell the difference between a Crow and a Raven, which will cause mass casualties for Ravens as well. I see this first hand, even with wildlife personnel. Second Chance Wildlife opposes this new 'hunt' and will continue the fight for all wild birds in and around Utah. Please take the time to comment at the DWR page I have listed above. Thank you.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

In full swing and only going to get busier!

More to update on. We are fast approaching our annual fundraiser in Moab, Utah. This event will be held June 7th and is a two part event, both occurring that day. For more information about this event, we have created a Facebook page dedicated to this event. Please check it out and learn about our silent auction to be held that evening. https://www.facebook.com/FlockTogetherAFundraiserForUtahsWildlife

We just released a Red-Tail hawk that was transferred to us from another rehab facility in need of our help. She was a juvenile hawk and is now free. She learned to kill and was good at doing so, being very aggressive, like most female Red-Tail hawks.

Todd Andrews releasing the female Red-Tail hawk

We hope she will be successful and in the future, raise many Red-Tail babies with a good mate.

Our electrocuted Raven is doing better. It's been a bumpy recovery for him. He still has a long way to go, but I think we are over the 'hump' and he continues to heal and thrive.

We released all of our Cottontail babies. We had a cat-caught victim and three others that had their nest disturbed by 'gardening' and one sibling was killed and the mother fled for her life. They all did well and were recently released near Price in an area where there is not a lot of human activity or traffic.

At our facility, we rehab many species. Every animal that Utah will allow to be rehabilitated, we work with. Many people are surprised to learn that besides the raptors they know we care for, we also believe that all animals are important and deserve our time and expertise. There is NO difference for us between these Cottontails, the Hummingbirds, the Eagles and so on. They are ALL important.

We also recently released a Northern Flicker, a member of the woodpecker family. This little angel was found in the middle of a busy road. The finder stopped and picked her up and called me right away. She had a concussion and balance issues due to that. Once her issues resolved with anti-inflammatories and time, we released her near where she was found.

If you happen to notice the bird to the left, that little Eurasian Collard dove showed up to say "hi" after the Flicker landed.

This is our newest patient, an orphaned (not sure why) Canada goose gosling. Found in Moab, Utah by some hikers. They did the correct thing and took possession and called for help. This little angel will be joining other orphan Goslings in a few days. They should never be raised alone, if at all possible. It's good when rehabilitators network and know who has what and when. It's a vital part to good rehabilitation.

Thank you for checking in and please check out the 'Flock Together" page. Donations to our organization can be made at the top of this page by the secure Pay Pal button. Donations allow us to continue the work we do, caring for these angels that need our help. All rehabilitation in the United States is done this way as local state wildlife agencies or federal wildlife agencies do not employ rehabilitators nor do they financially support our work. Sad.....but true!

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

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, May 27, 2014

Busy, busy, busy with no end in sight.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Working to save birds in Utah and around the country. Please join us.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

In full swing and only going to get busier!

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