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

Great release of both Golden Eagles

For information and many photo's go to our Facebook page.

These birds were not related but were both fledglings from last year.  They both had failure to thrive issues and one of the eagles has also been hit by a car.  This is where the highway patrol officer came into the story.  Rarely does anything get struck by a vehicle and not sustain trauma that requires surgery, but luckily, this bird was one of those rare stories.
One male and one female, they grew stronger and learned to hunt together.  Hopefully, regardless of what the reporter said in the story, we hope they stay in that area and stay together as  a pair.  They are no where near breeding age, so if they stay together, it will be many years before nesting would happen.
They came in within a few days of each other and required almost the same exact plan of care.

Yrma Van Der Steenstraeten releasing one of the Golden eagles at Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, Utah

                                                                 

Connie handing off the other Golden eagle to Highway Patrol Officer Brian Evans

                                                                                 

We care for approximately 20 Golden eagles, once in a while a Bald is part of those numbers, every year.  Sadly, the numbers grow every year.  From secondary lead poisonings, vehicle strikes, gunshots and West Nile virus, they just keep coming and coming.

 There are also the occasional jaw trap cases as well.  All of this work as state and federal permitted wildlife rehabilitators is accomplished through donations.  Wildlife does not belong to anyone so their are no 'owners' to pay the bills.  Sadly, the public also believes that the wildlife agencies in their state or federal wildlife agency helps pay for this or pays for it entirely.  This is not the case, not for any wildlife rehabilitator, regardless of the state.  This is difficult yet very rewarding work.  We also care for many other birds, including other species of raptors and some mammals as well.
We appreciate all the support we have and to those who contribute once reading this, which how could you not after seeing what we do and clearly, the need for it.



http://www.ksl.com/?sid=29002887&nid=148&title=2-rehabilitated-golden-eagles-released-into-wild

Upcoming release

We will be releasing two Golden eagles this Sunday, March 9th, 2014 in Grand County, Utah at the Dead Horse Point State Park.  We will be meeting at the visitors center there at 1PM and then doing the release at the Point, a short distance away.  The public is invited to attend and bring cameras.  These birds are not related but came in last year, both just newly fledged.  Both were suffering from failure to thrive issues, being dehydrated and emaciated.  The bird that came from Grand County had also been struck by a car while near the highway.  They have both kill tested successfully and are now ready to be released.  We should have a pretty good turn out as the weather is suppose to be beautiful that day.  Come celebrate with us!

One of the goldens to be released this Sunday.

Needing a financial boost right now.

Hey folks,
Everything we do here takes money.  The vet, medications and food are the three main things.  The only way we can do this is with donations.  All wildlife rehabilitation in the country is done through donations.  USFW or the individual states do not financially help any of us at all.  Call your wildlife agency and talk to the director, they will tell you.  Even people within these agencies believe that we are paid something by them, but they just are like the public and assume this.  This is why I say, if you want to check out the facts, ask for the director.  They know the story.  We are still full from the winter and it's already getting busy around here.  Help if you can!  We sure could use it and Thank you in advance.