Laurens Wildlife Rescue
  • Home
  • I found a wild baby - what do I do?
  • How can I help?
  • Contact us
  • FAQ
  • This week in wildlife

Ranting and raving…again…

1/26/2014

32 Comments

 
What a weird and frustrating week…just two intakes, but boy, you’d better settle in for some serious soapboxing on these two…

First, about midweek I get a call from a young woman who found a vulture in her back yard when she came in from school. He wouldn’t fly away, and based on her description and that of her father, I’m pretty sure the bird’s in a bad way. It’s frigid outside, it’s late, and we agree to meet in the morning if he survives the night.

The next morning she calls and we agree to meet…what I didn’t realize is that they didn’t have the vulture restrained…Daddy goes to work and Mama and Daughter load up Sir Vulture to bring him to me. As I get in the car to head for the designated meeting spot I get a call from Daughter, who is just shy of panicked. Sir Vulture decided he didn’t like car rides, came to life in the back seat, and promptly did what vultures do: puked. All in their back seat.

If you’re laughing now, you’ve obviously never smelled vulture puke. Skunk spray is a pleasant smell compared to vulture puke. I mean, stop and think about what vultures eat. Now let that simmer in digestive juices for a while…and then the vulture gets nervous, feels threatened—whatever—and effortlessly upchucks as a defensive measure. Oh yeah…believe me, it will make you gag.

Word to the wise: NEVER allow any animal, wild or domestic, to ride unrestrained in your vehicle. It’s just not safe, for starters, and if they do decide to freak out or puke, a simple cardboard box not only helps confine the smell, it eliminates costly clean-up of seats to remove puke or blood.

Given the smell in their car, Mama and Daughter head back home to transfer Sir Vulture to Daddy’s truck...restrained this time. They get him to me with no further incidents; I give him a cursory look at the meeting site, discover that he’s a turkey vulture, the larger but shyer of Georgia’s two vulture species, and don’t really see anything, but a full exam will wait until I get him home.
Picture
Once home, a thorough exam reveals…nothing. There’s not a thing wrong with this bird that I can find. But he’s not wedging his head in the corner of the box, which is SOP for turkey vultures normally. Hmmm…
Picture
Picture
To be on the safe side and make sure I’m not missing anything, I call Smalley’s and confirm that they can see Sir Vulture that morning. When I get to the clinic, while I’m waiting in the exam room for vet Richie Hatcher to come in, I open the box. Sir Vulture pops his head up and looks around over the edge of the box. On a whim (one of these days my whims are gonna land me in serious pain), I offer him my hand. He doesn’t shy away; he nibbles my fingers. I try again—same results. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would say…
Sorry; the vid below was filmed upside down, from my vantage point as I was looking into the box.
Vet tech Carma Goodman comes in, and we watch Sir Vulture taking in his surroundings, apparently unfazed by anything he sees. When Richie comes in, I do the hand thing for him. He agrees it just ain’t normal.  Sir Vulture protests not at all when I take him out of the box. Richie confirms that there are no injuries I missed, and then…we simply let go of Sir Vulture to see what he’ll do. We’re in a closed exam room; if he freaks out, we can catch him—and he’s already puked up everything, so that’s not an issue.

He walks around the exam table like he owns it, checks out the computer monitor, decides he doesn’t especially like it, and poops next to the scale. Then he walks to the edge of the table, where we’re all standing with our jaws on the floor, and looks at us as if to say, “Hey, how ya doin’?”
Picture
Picture
By this point we’re positive he’s at the very least severely habituated, meaning he’s had waaaay too much close human contact. The only time he puts up a fight is when we go to put him back in the box, but once he’s back in the box, we pull up chairs next to it and talk about his situation, while he swings his head back and forth, listening to the conversation. Vultures may not be pretty but they ARE smart.

Over the past few days, he’s started hissing at me when I feed him, which is good, but we’re thinking it’s just stress from being confined—been too cold to attempt a release. I’ve talked to Steve Hicks of Bubba & Friends and Kathryn Dudeck of Chattahoochee Nature Center, and we’re all in agreement that once the weather moderates, the best option for this guy is a “soft” release, meaning I’ll put him in my old deer pen, which is enclosed on the sides and open at the top. This will give me a chance to see just how habituated he actually is and give him the chance to fly away freely if he so chooses. If he doesn’t, it’s ed bird status for him, I suppose.

Which brings me to rant #1: Those of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while know that it’s against state and federal law to possess birds without the proper permits. There is a VERY good chance this bird has been in captivity, given his age (over a year old), possibly for most of his life. If this turns out to be the case, I’m gonna have to break out the voodoo dolls and very long hat pins to wreak revenge on the anonymous idiot who ruined this bird—and don’t think I’m joking, either…
Picture
Then, on Saturday morning, Laurens County 911 called and said a man had called to report an injured crane. They gave me his number and I called to discover that his wife had seen the bird by a tree near their pond earlier that morning and when she started out to see what its problem was, it tried to run and fell over. Hmmm…not sounding good…

I suggest a meeting spot as he walks out to see if his wife has managed to catch the bird. The bird had attempted to get into the water, at which point Wife had discovered that it was tangled in fishing cord. Despite the frigid temps, she waded into the water to get the bird and cut loose what she could see of the cord. At this point I suggest we just meet at Smalley’s. Fishing cord is probably gonna be a four-handed job…I alert Smalley’s and head out.

Wife doesn’t even take time to change clothes or put on shoes; they’re waiting for me when I pull into Smalley’s parking lot, and she’s still damp and barefooted, holding the wet bird wrapped in a jacket—we need more people like her, who put the welfare of the wildlife first!

I get a box from my trunk, where I keep a supply of various-sized boxes, and as we move him into the box, Wife shows me the loose end of the cord, where she’d cut it. It appears to be wrapped around his neck and tangled in his wing, and his legs are raw, probably from the cord she managed to cut off. I’m on low simmer at this point because some idiot didn’t bother to clean up his mess and the bird, actually a great blue heron, is suffering as a result…then she tells me the neighbors said they’d seen the bird by the tree for “two or three” days—and we’d had frigid temps the past several days. Instant full boil…

I get the heron inside, where I see if there’s any of the cord I can ease out of his feathers on my own while I wait. What I discover is that the hook, with the damn rubber bait worm still attached, is through the flesh of the wing and the cord is tangled in the wing and around the neck.  Richie Hatcher is pulling Saturday duty, so when he comes in, I restrain the heron for him to begin working the cord loose. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The cord around his neck has rubbed a raw spot. He has a huge raw spot on one leg and two smaller abrasions on the other. The underside of the wing has a huge raw, irritated area, to say nothing of that damned big hook embedded in the flesh, with a barbed end, so Richie has to cut the end before he can pull it out…Luckily, nothing is broken, but there may be soft tissue damage from the heron struggling to free himself before he was rescued.

Picture
Picture
Vet tech Christy Harrell manned my camera to document the hook and cord removal, as both my hands were otherwise occupied.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
After Richie gets all the cord off, he gives the heron something for pain and some antibiotics. I’ll be treating the wounds at home. When I get him home, within an hour or so, he’s standing on both feet but favoring that pierced wing.  He’s feeling feisty enough at this point to raise his head feathers slightly in threat—and believe you me, that dagger-like beak is not to be taken lightly.
Picture
This morning, the wing was slightly more level but he wasn’t putting weight on the leg that was most scraped. Adding to his general misery, he didn’t want to eat on his own, so I had to cut up his fish and force-feed him—not pleasant for the bird or me.

And all this leads me to rant #2: People, I get that fishing is fun and relaxing and all that jazz, but for God’s sake, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF.  Leaving cord and hooks and crap laying around isn’t just dangerous for wildlife—what if a child had stepped on that hook or had gotten tangled in the cord, fallen into the water and drowned because s/he couldn’t free him/herself from the cord? Stop and think about the consequences of your actions! And furthermore, if you see a bird that doesn’t seem to be able to fly or acts lethargic or obviously has an injury, by-God CALL someone to get help for that bird! Every state has licensed rehabbers; look up the ones nearest you (you can usually find lists online through your state’s game and fish division) and program their numbers into your phone—you never know when you might need them!

Right now it appears the heron will make a full recovery, but as I said, there’s always the possibility of soft tissue damage to the wing. We won’t know for a while whether someone’s careless disregard for anyone besides themselves has doomed this bird or whether he’ll be one of the lucky ones.
Picture
32 Comments
neener
1/26/2014 10:06:54 am

Stupid, stupid, uncaring selfish humans!
Did you ask that wonderful woman if she had a twin/ sibs/ offspring? The world needs more like her!
And we definitely need more like you!! ♥
Thanks for all you do!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 01:20:22 pm

The heron rescuer has children, neener, so the good genes are being perpetuated!

Reply
dmort
1/26/2014 11:07:01 am

Unbelievable. I have turkey vultures by me and have always thought the were so ugly. I've changed my mind. Ur rescud vulture was so cute! U and your associates are all amazing people! Thanks for that.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 01:21:53 pm

I don't know that I'd ever call a turkey vulture cute (although black vultures are rather handsome), but they are intelligent birds.

Reply
Ann Feldman
1/26/2014 12:41:07 pm

I still laughed at the Vulture Vomit, can't help it. Glad I'm not eating dinner yet. Interesting to see one up close, the intelligent eyes, etc. Heron Heroine a nice lady. I hope they both do well. One thing to take in a Vulture (for whatever mad reason) quite another to say ho, hum, time for you to go kiddo. But people abandon their own children so nothing surprises me any more.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 01:26:06 pm

LOL, yeah Ann, you can laugh; you've never smelled vulture vomit. I have, and it'll clear your sinuses and your stomach at the same time. Don't they have amazing eyes, though? Steve and Kathryn and I debated the whole vulture as a pet thing--doesn't make sense to us, either. I mean, for all their intelligence, they ain't pretty, not by a long shot! But if you look closely at his feet, even his talons look overgrown to me...Who knows? People are insane.

Reply
Marylin Sperling link
1/26/2014 12:53:22 pm

I wish that the punishment for those despicable people who created such pain to animals would be punished by being trapped in a cage with their victims! And that would be too humane for them!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 01:29:31 pm

Since rehabbers usually don't know who's responsible for the pain inflicted on the critters they receive, I prefer voodoo dolls and hat pins, Marilyn. But if I did know for sure and could get the legal system to allow me to mete out their punishment, I promise you it would be much worse than just being caged with their victims. Much, much worse...I'm a firm believer in Hammurabian justice.

Reply
Jean Shirley
1/26/2014 02:41:45 pm

I can't count the number of pelicans, gulls, and other sea birds with fishing line/hook injuries we have had in the wildlife hospital. One Great Blue Heron was there twice! He was banded before the first release. It makes me so angry that these beautiful creatures are seriously injured or killed because some fisherman did not pick up his broken lines and hooks before leaving.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 02:56:12 pm

Exactly--it would take, what, all of a minute to pick up the broken lines and hooks? People are just plain sorry...

Reply
Louise V
1/26/2014 03:39:44 pm

I feel so bad for the poor injured heron and have seen many examples of things like this posted on other sites, Facebook, TV programs, etc. There are also commercial fishers whose abandoned nets end up killing dolphins, and so on ... However, having been fishing myself many times in the past (my dad taught me to clean up after myself!) I can attest that there are some occasions when people's tackle gets accidentally caught up on something and they may not be able to retrieve it. It might become dislodged later and float to the surface where it becomes dangerous. I have also seen birds steal hooked fish right off people's fishing rods. Having said all that, I wish karma to the slobs who are careless with their tackle. An ex of mine rescued a Mallard duck who had a hook snagged that had its lower beak hooked to its breast so the beak was hooked open. We saw it when we were fishing and thought from a distance it looked very odd. It was so hungry, it was easily lured close to our boat with bits of bread from our lunch (who knows how long it had been that way). He netted the duck when it got close, picked it up and brought it in the boat, cut the hook and pulled it through without further damage from the barb. This was MANY years ago, before any of us knew of or even heard of rescue organizations, so he set the duck free afterward, hoping it would be okay. :( I remember that often.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/26/2014 03:58:58 pm

Thanks for sharing, and as a point for future reference, bread isn't good for wildlife--of any species. I know in your case, years ago, it was what you had on hand to lure the injured duck to you, but as a knee-jerk reaction, I always caution people not to feed bread to wildlife!

Reply
Louise V
1/26/2014 05:11:48 pm

Yes, thanks - I do know that now and spread the word whenever I can. I have been following a few different rescues, mostly up here in Canada, for about 3 years now and have learned TONS! :)

Louise V
1/26/2014 05:12:23 pm

Yes, thanks - I do know that now and I spread the word whenever I can. I have been following a few different rescues, mostly up here in Canada, for about 3 years now and have learned TONS! :)

Clara C Purser
1/26/2014 04:27:51 pm

You are amazing and one tough little lady! Wish you luck with both of the feathered babies. Both intakes were interesting and the latter makes me want to kick the behind of the careless idiot that left the trash line etc. Hope everybody fills their feeders, scatters food for ground feeders and refreshes water for the birds during this cold and possibly snowy/icy weather!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/27/2014 03:37:02 am

Thanks Clara!

Reply
Cheryl Ann Kingston
1/26/2014 09:24:34 pm

I am so thankful that there are loving, caring people like you in this world, Vonda. I'm also thankful for people like the wonderful woman who selflessly waded into the water to rescue the GBH ... and the woman & daughter who didn't give up after the vomit fiasco!
People like you make me believe in the good in humanity!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/27/2014 03:39:07 am

Thanks Cheryl!

Reply
Pam
1/27/2014 03:31:01 am

I was on pins and needles reading these two tales of human idiocy and decency. Well written and great pictures! By the way, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I think that vulture is really gorgeous!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/27/2014 03:40:09 am

Thanks Pam! Sir Vulture definitely has personality!

Reply
Pipette
1/27/2014 09:38:06 am

Wow, just wow - this was amazing reading! I learn something with each update you post.

Bless you and all wildlife rehabbers - and the vets at Smalley's, too!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/27/2014 12:06:25 pm

Thanks Pipette!

Reply
Garry Rogers link
1/31/2014 05:48:14 am

Interesting. I pinned, tweeted, and scooped your post (see the scoop at http://scoop.it/t/ecoscifi).
Thank you.
Garry

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/31/2014 06:24:04 am

Thanks Garry!

Reply
Elizabeth H
1/31/2014 11:33:32 am

I say this all the time, there are several of the Cornell web cams that I watch, and one is the Blue Heron nest. They're such incredibly beautiful birds, and I have watched them from egg to fledge, and laying again. It makes me so sad to think our stupidity can lend the life of these majestic creatures! There isn't a soap box high enough for you to yell from, Lauren! Thanks for all you and your family and fellow animal lovers do!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/31/2014 12:09:03 pm

Thanks Elizabeth! (It's Vonda, BTW--no Lauren here. Laurens Wildlife Rescue takes its name from its base of operations, Laurens County, GA.)

Reply
Alyssa
2/15/2014 09:26:33 pm

Ughh, how bad does vulture vomit smell, exactly? And is it really hard to wash off?

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
2/16/2014 06:32:13 am

Bad. Really bad. Once one puked on the exam table at my vets' office. They opened windows and doors, lit scented candles...and we were all still gagging. They puke up huge chunks of partially digested carcasses...(You did ask!)

Reply
Alyssa
2/16/2014 02:29:25 pm

Yikes! If one pukes on you, is it really hard to wash off? I've heard a from tell me how someone else told him about how he was puked on as a child, and it took almost a week to get the smell off his skin...is that really possible?

Laurens Wildlife Rescue
2/16/2014 02:38:00 pm

Alyssa, no clue. Thus far, have been lucky--and quick--enough to avoid being puked on.

Reply
Pamela
9/12/2014 04:11:51 am

How are these two birds doing?

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/12/2014 06:52:46 am

I'm happy to report that both these birds were released; see the Feb. 2 update: http://www.laurenswildliferescue.org/this-week-in-wildlife/outgoing-and-incoming

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008

    Categories

    All
    Baby Birds
    Baby Deer
    Baby Opossums
    Baby Possums
    Baby Rabbits
    Bluegray Gnatcatchers
    Carolina Wren
    Common Loons
    Epd
    Fawns
    House Finch
    Mbta
    Migratory Bird Treaty Act
    Mockers
    Mockingbirds
    Orphaned Birds
    Orphaned Deer
    Orphaned Fawns
    Orphaned Opossums
    Orphaned Possums
    Orphaned Rabbits
    Orphaned Wildlife
    Squirrels
    Wildlife
    Wood Ducks

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.