Intakes remained slow last week, befitting the end of baby bird season, and none were even birds. While I’m licensed for small mammals, deer and reptiles, I generally don’t take in other species if I can avoid it; small mammal rehabbers are relatively more plentiful than bird rehabbers. That being said, I will occasionally take in a non-avian or non-flying squirrel rehab.
Last week an elderly caller was distraught that routine lawn mowing had disturbed a rabbit nest and killed one of the young ones. Based on the description of the rabbits, I suspected they were actually independent young juveniles who were probably still using the nest as a safety zone for daytime naps. But the caller lived in a bad area of town and was worried about the safety of the surviving sibs, so…what the heck? All they’d probably need was overnight observation to ensure they were actually eating, and then a quick release.
Sure enough, these were fat, healthy juvies who were ready to go the next morning. Rabbits have only a 10% survival rate in rehab because they’re such stressy little buggers, so on the rare occasions I take them in, I breathe a huge sigh of relief when I can release them quickly.
· QUICK TIP: If a “baby” rabbit will cover approximately half a dollar bill, it’s old enough to be on its own unless injured.
Last week an elderly caller was distraught that routine lawn mowing had disturbed a rabbit nest and killed one of the young ones. Based on the description of the rabbits, I suspected they were actually independent young juveniles who were probably still using the nest as a safety zone for daytime naps. But the caller lived in a bad area of town and was worried about the safety of the surviving sibs, so…what the heck? All they’d probably need was overnight observation to ensure they were actually eating, and then a quick release.
Sure enough, these were fat, healthy juvies who were ready to go the next morning. Rabbits have only a 10% survival rate in rehab because they’re such stressy little buggers, so on the rare occasions I take them in, I breathe a huge sigh of relief when I can release them quickly.
· QUICK TIP: If a “baby” rabbit will cover approximately half a dollar bill, it’s old enough to be on its own unless injured.
I’ve moved the red tailed hawk (RT) into a flight pen temporarily, until I can get her in for euthanasia. While she cannot fly, there are low perches she can ladder up to, and at least she can get some fresh air and sunshine in her last days. I do have the means of euthanizing here, but it’s reserved for those intakes who are suffering and cannot wait for a vet to perform euthanasia. Because this girl’s healthy aside from the wing fracture that healed badly in the wild, I’d prefer a vet handle her euthanasia.
I know it’s not a popular topic, but let’s discuss euthanasia for a moment: Obviously, no one enjoys having to put down animals, especially those whose injuries have healed in the wild but leave them unreleasable because they’ll compromise the animal’s ability to survive. However—and this is a BIG “however”—if the animal cannot be used for educational purposes, i.e., an ed bird, it must by law be euthanized. And rehabbers worth their salt understand and accept this.
Sometimes the nature of the injury will prevent an animal’s use for educational purposes; sometimes its temperament will. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of educational facilities having a full complement of that species already, as is often the case with RTs.
And there are humane, quality-of-life issues to ponder, as well. Renowned Canadian owl rehabber Kate McKeever summed it up nicely she when pointed out that wild animals crave freedom to the point that if they’re offered the option of life in captivity or freedom and sure death, they will choose freedom and sure death. Can you blame them? (And I know educational birds at wildlife centers have spacious cages, enrichment activities, etc. I’m not knocking wildlife centers who have ed birds and other ed critters. But these centers have budgets and staff that home-based rehabbers don’t have that allow them to provide quality lives to their nonreleasable ed birds.)
So yes, it sucks to have to euthanize an otherwise healthy bird whose wing broke and healed badly in the wild. But I’ve watched this girl in the flight pen for the past couple of days; I can see the longing in her eyes to be free, to soar in the skies—which she’ll never be able to do again. But if I opened the flight pen door and gave her the option, she would choose freedom and death over life in a cage. Sadly, the only freedom I can offer her—the only “release” available—is euthanasia.
I know it’s not a popular topic, but let’s discuss euthanasia for a moment: Obviously, no one enjoys having to put down animals, especially those whose injuries have healed in the wild but leave them unreleasable because they’ll compromise the animal’s ability to survive. However—and this is a BIG “however”—if the animal cannot be used for educational purposes, i.e., an ed bird, it must by law be euthanized. And rehabbers worth their salt understand and accept this.
Sometimes the nature of the injury will prevent an animal’s use for educational purposes; sometimes its temperament will. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of educational facilities having a full complement of that species already, as is often the case with RTs.
And there are humane, quality-of-life issues to ponder, as well. Renowned Canadian owl rehabber Kate McKeever summed it up nicely she when pointed out that wild animals crave freedom to the point that if they’re offered the option of life in captivity or freedom and sure death, they will choose freedom and sure death. Can you blame them? (And I know educational birds at wildlife centers have spacious cages, enrichment activities, etc. I’m not knocking wildlife centers who have ed birds and other ed critters. But these centers have budgets and staff that home-based rehabbers don’t have that allow them to provide quality lives to their nonreleasable ed birds.)
So yes, it sucks to have to euthanize an otherwise healthy bird whose wing broke and healed badly in the wild. But I’ve watched this girl in the flight pen for the past couple of days; I can see the longing in her eyes to be free, to soar in the skies—which she’ll never be able to do again. But if I opened the flight pen door and gave her the option, she would choose freedom and death over life in a cage. Sadly, the only freedom I can offer her—the only “release” available—is euthanasia.
And finally, last week a 22.6 pound common snapping turtle was found beside a dirt road in the county with his face smashed. Based on his injuries and where he was found, here’s my reconstruction of the incident: The dust-covered snapper was on a dusty road, probably near the side, when a vehicle clipped his face and part of his shell. They probably didn’t see him and because only the front of the face was damaged, they probably didn’t even know they hit him. Snapping turtles cannot pull their heads fully into their shells; if he’d been able to do that, he probably would’ve escaped with only a slightly cracked shell, as the shell damage was minimal.
While the severity of the damage warranted use of my home-EU chamber, the snapper was slightly too wide to fit, necessitating a trip to Smalley’s Animal Hospital, where vet Jim Hobby performed the euthanasia. As badly damaged as the poor snapper was—he was basically dead and didn’t know it—he fought tooth and nail. You’ve got to admire an animal that will still struggle to live when it’s that mortally injured…
Because his face was pretty messed up and some of you non-rehabbers are a bit on the squeamish side, I’m placing most of the snapper photos after the warning below.
While the severity of the damage warranted use of my home-EU chamber, the snapper was slightly too wide to fit, necessitating a trip to Smalley’s Animal Hospital, where vet Jim Hobby performed the euthanasia. As badly damaged as the poor snapper was—he was basically dead and didn’t know it—he fought tooth and nail. You’ve got to admire an animal that will still struggle to live when it’s that mortally injured…
Because his face was pretty messed up and some of you non-rehabbers are a bit on the squeamish side, I’m placing most of the snapper photos after the warning below.
WARNING: Graphic images below. These photos will probably be of interest only to fellow rehabbers.
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