Hope everybody enjoyed their New Year’s celebrations. Now that 2018 is behind us, it’s time for rehabbers to begin working on those dreaded annual reports. Some of y’all organized types or those who have staff to help might’ve done this in “real time” throughout the year but most of us will spend January getting all the paperwork in order. Oh joy…can’t escape paperwork, can you?
As for 2019, it’s off to a fairly normal start. We had intakes right through New Year’s Eve and then a slight break before the next one, along with some releases.
Let’s start with the releases: the barred owl was rarin’ to go and only the weeklong downpour kept him from being released much earlier. He had no fractures; the eye, while still a bit cloudy, was looking good and he could find his food, so he was a “go” waiting on the weather to cooperate.
As for 2019, it’s off to a fairly normal start. We had intakes right through New Year’s Eve and then a slight break before the next one, along with some releases.
Let’s start with the releases: the barred owl was rarin’ to go and only the weeklong downpour kept him from being released much earlier. He had no fractures; the eye, while still a bit cloudy, was looking good and he could find his food, so he was a “go” waiting on the weather to cooperate.
Same for the mourning dove—while his tail feathers weren’t as long as I would’ve liked, he escaped his box three times last week as I was freshening food and water, so as soon as the skies cleared I placed him in the songbird flight and opened the escape hatch. Two hours later, I went back out to check, and sure enough, he was long gone.
The New Year’s Eve intake wasn’t as lucky. The victim of a dog attack, this poor adult mockingbird was missing most of his right wing and his entire right leg, along with having a severely damaged left eye. He was humanely euthanized. All photos were taken post-euthanasia.
The New Year’s Eve intake wasn’t as lucky. The victim of a dog attack, this poor adult mockingbird was missing most of his right wing and his entire right leg, along with having a severely damaged left eye. He was humanely euthanized. All photos were taken post-euthanasia.
Midweek, a juvenile turkey vulture came in. His finders’ description didn’t sound promising, and when they arrived with the poor fellow, my forebodings proved accurate. His left wing had been broken and healed very badly in the wild, at an impossible angle—the original fracture had been at or near the wrist, and the wing had healed with the wrist rotated backwards and facing up. The poor fellow would never fly again.
When his finders asked about his prognosis, I was honest. The bird would require euthanasia. Both got very emotional and said repeatedly they wished they’d never brought him and they should have kept him in a pen in their back yard, etc., etc.
Leaving aside the illegality of possessing wildlife without a permit, let me make a few observations.
First off, why on God’s green Earth would anybody think that a life in a pen would be a happy existence for a bird used to riding the thermals thousands of feet in the air? Second, that wing had to be causing massive pain still, as he had begun gnawing on the flesh of the opposite wing—what kind of life is that for a bird? Third, people need to stop viewing euthanasia as “the enemy.” It is a TOOL in the rehabber’s kit, a means of giving wildlife the only release that is sometimes possible: a release from suffering.
And let me be clear on this: I will always, ALWAYS do what’s best for the wildlife, and if that hurts your little feelings, oh well…I’m not a licensed PEOPLE rehabber; I’m a licensed WILDLIFE rehabber. If I can’t return the wildlife to the wild and it’s not a suitable candidate—through injury or temperament—for an educational animal, I will euthanize rather than subject that animal to a lifetime of misery in a cage. I submit to you that people who think a lifetime of captivity and pain is preferable to humane euthanasia are incredibly selfish, thinking only of themselves and not the best interests of the wildlife.
Okay, off my soapbox…for this week…
The red shoulder is in the raptor flight. He still cants his tail to the right slightly but seems to have no issues flying. This week is supposed to be gorgeous, so we’ll see how he improves and aim at possible release late this week or possibly early next week.
Leaving aside the illegality of possessing wildlife without a permit, let me make a few observations.
First off, why on God’s green Earth would anybody think that a life in a pen would be a happy existence for a bird used to riding the thermals thousands of feet in the air? Second, that wing had to be causing massive pain still, as he had begun gnawing on the flesh of the opposite wing—what kind of life is that for a bird? Third, people need to stop viewing euthanasia as “the enemy.” It is a TOOL in the rehabber’s kit, a means of giving wildlife the only release that is sometimes possible: a release from suffering.
And let me be clear on this: I will always, ALWAYS do what’s best for the wildlife, and if that hurts your little feelings, oh well…I’m not a licensed PEOPLE rehabber; I’m a licensed WILDLIFE rehabber. If I can’t return the wildlife to the wild and it’s not a suitable candidate—through injury or temperament—for an educational animal, I will euthanize rather than subject that animal to a lifetime of misery in a cage. I submit to you that people who think a lifetime of captivity and pain is preferable to humane euthanasia are incredibly selfish, thinking only of themselves and not the best interests of the wildlife.
Okay, off my soapbox…for this week…
The red shoulder is in the raptor flight. He still cants his tail to the right slightly but seems to have no issues flying. This week is supposed to be gorgeous, so we’ll see how he improves and aim at possible release late this week or possibly early next week.
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