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

Sometimes it really does take a village

8/25/2013

2 Comments

 
…Or at least several people, to accomplish something. I have two shining examples of that for this update: first, let’s start with the FundRazr LWR has had going on most of this month. I’m pleased to announce that due to yet another VERY generous donation, I now have the funds needed to rebuild the songbird flight pen and build that much-needed and often-dreamed-about small raptor flight pen! 

I also want to point out that of the $3000 raised for both flights, just $225 came from fellow Georgians. This is quite embarrassing and disappointing to me, as it indicates a woeful lack of concern for the state’s native wildlife and a corresponding lack of public support for Georgia’s wildlife rehabbers—and yet the people who ignore pleas for donations will be the very ones screaming to the rafters when they can’t find a rehabber because their local rehabber shut down due to lack of funding. Can’t have it both ways, people—support us or lose us. It’s that simple.

To my fellow chatters from the NYU Hawk Cam, THANK YOU! The vast majority of the donations making these flight pens possible came from you or people you alerted to my situation.  You’re pretty darned amazing, folks!

The second example of needing a village actually comes from today. This morning one of my game wardens called and said he’d been alerted to an injured wood stork—broken leg— on a local highway. He was in the process of rounding up help to go catch it and wanted to make sure I could take it. No waterfowl in the spare tub at the moment, so we’re good to go…

Several hours later, he called to tell me that a three-man team caught the bird and he was on his way with it.  This is a shout out to my amazing local DNR folks: game wardens Dan Stiles and Rodney Horne and state wildlife biologist Chris Baumann.  Without them, this bird would have suffered a slow and very painful death, so a round of applause, if you will, for three great DNR guys!
Picture
The group effort didn’t end there, however: my nephew Alex and niece-in-law Brooke came down to assist me by restraining the stork while I cleaned, medicated and half-arse splinted (I'm not good with splints near a joint) the leg to stabilize it until I can get him to the vet tomorrow for assessment and further treatment, as he also appears to have a wing fracture.
Picture
Wood storks are on the endangered list in Georgia, so I’m really hoping we can put this fellow back into the wild, or at least mend him to the point that he can go to an educational center. His leg is pretty trashed, though, so right now it’s all very iffy. We’ll know for certain tomorrow.
Picture
The rains finally let up here so I could release the house finch and the red shoulder, both of whom hauled butt without a backward glance. Sorry the release videos aren’t any better, but those two were determined to shake the dust of LWR off their tailfeathers!
This red shoulder wasn’t as lucky, however. He came in late last Sunday evening with severe fractures of the right leg and wing. Both were right at the joint, which is pretty much a death sentence for a bird.
Picture
Monday before I took the red shoulder in for confirmation of the severity of his injuries and euthanasia, this adult barred owl also came in with a fractured right wing and a totally trashed left eye. He also required euthanasia.
Picture
Picture
What had happened is that with all the rainy, nasty weather we’d been having, the raptors were hunting near the roads because it’s easier to find prey there. Vehicle versus wildlife seldom ends well for the wildlife, unfortunately.

And, of course, no update lately would be complete without your Igor fix, so herewith I offer that crazy corvid himself!
Picture
Picture
2 Comments
mbird
8/25/2013 11:44:10 am

Wow. Poor Wood Stork. I hope he makes it. Were you able to give him some pain medicine? And poor Hawk and Barred Owl. So sad that you have to Euthanize them. I am so happy to see Igor doing well. Thanks for all you do and try to do. Mary

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
8/25/2013 01:17:01 pm

Thanks mbird! The stork has been medicated; we'll hope for the best tomorrow. Igor is a prime example of why I like crows: smart, personable, and just plain lovable!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    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.