Spectacular Bald Eagle Release

We were thrilled to successfully release an American Bald Eagle Tuesday Sept 22, 2009. This i

s only the second one that I have treated since my employ for the past 6 years at the Miami

Science Museum. It is a first year juvenile and missing the trademark white head feathers of the adult bird. They will grow in at around its 4th-5th year.

This bird was sighted on a golf course eating what seemed to be a duck early in the morning a week before. Later that day, the finder Daniela Ruiz reported seeing it in the lake struggling. By the time Florida Fish and Wildlife officer Miranda arrived, it was floating motionless in the water.

Our director, Greta Mealey received the bird that night and administered emergency care. The next morning, the bird was alive, alert, and to say the least, very feisty. We believe that it was perhaps exhausted, waterlogged and perhaps a little hypothermic after its struggle to get out of the water. It may have encountered a toxin or some sort of trauma. It was most definitely in shock and would have died without the intervention of all parties involved.

The bird stayed with us for a week as the blood values were a little questionable and we wanted to make sure that it was as healthy as possible. In addition, it was eating well and seemed to be

calm and unstressed once introduced to our flight enclosure. Periodically we administered more fluids and monitored the weight. Finally this eagle was ready to spread its wings once again.

I don't think I need to point out the smiles on every one's faces. We were all very excited.

The day of release was a special event and the finder and officer were both in attendance as well as some media, family members of the finder, and a couple of friends and associates from the Museum. Brian Mealey, of the Institute of Wildlife Sciences placed a federal band on the eagle's leg and it was placed on the ground about 100 feet from the place first seen. See for yourself, as words cannot describe this. What a great time to post a video!

Some Stories Never Get Old

This posting is a bit late as I have been having some problems with posting pictures. I couldn't bear telling this story without the pictures. I am also happy to share this behind the scenes photo that shows how we hold birds (not more than 30 minutes) in preparation for release.

The hood keeps the bird, a cooper's hawk calm by keeping the vision dark. Hawks are very visual, so taking away sight goes a long way towards preventing them from intense stress or hurting themselves or their feathers which would jeopardize the release. Coincidentally, this bird remained with us for a very long time because of feather damage incurred while quarantined because of an infectious disease. Cooper's hawks are very high strung birds and will frequently fling themselves around their enclosure in a frantic attempt to escape. We were thrilled that we

were able to nurture this bird back to health and then provide a safe enclosure in which

the bird could grow feathers again and regain strength which allowed for her release. The towel restrains movement and prevents the panic response that sometimes ensues when a bird is left hooded in a cage. They remain quite calm and able to breathe.

When we schedule a public release, we like to have the bird ready ahead of time in case of any unforeseen circumstances. We also transport birds in this manner sometimes as well. Rolling a towel around them and securing the velcro band helps to restrict their activity. When unable to move, most animals tend to calm down (notice I said most). I like to explain the rationale behind our restraint of the birds because people tend to react very violently when they see an image like this, but when learning the rationale, they understand and become very intrigued how this actually works. Same principle works with cattle, horses, and other animals that would respond in panic situations.

So I happily said a little prayer and we sent this cooper's hawk on her way, just in time for the fall migration. The honor of release went to Justin, our herpetologist who has yet to release a bird. He was, understandably so, very excited about his first release. Way to go Justin! And way to go Cooper!

Beautiful People and No Deeds Too Small

This blog entry really was a gift to me as it sort of materialized instantly in my head as I curiously peered at the guy who had stopped in the middle of the road to save a turtle from sure death on the horrifically brutal roads of South Florida. I couldn't help but smile as I watched him in my rear view mirror as the turtle fought to get away from him as the guy struggled awkwardly to pick it up (I think he was a little scared). It occurred to me that the flip side of the story I wrote about last was the numerous people that every day, take time out of their busy lives just to help animals.

The latest individual named Matt was one who had found a duck shortly after it had been hit by a car. It was bleeding from the mouth and nose and appeared to have a leg injury. He was frantic as I spoke to him on the phone and I told him yes, bring it right away. He hung up the phone and was on our doorstep quick enough that I am sure he broke all speed limits and perhaps a couple of other traffic laws to get there. We treated the duck with emergency medication and fluid and

kept our fingers crossed, there were no other injuries. This man called not only later that day, but the next, and the next checking up on his duck. I am happy to report that the duck not only made it, but had no serious injuries that prevented it from being transferred to the duck specialist, who now fields all the calls from Matt! So he was infinitely grateful for the life of the duck. He had brought another bird to us in the past that unfortunately did not make it, and thankfully he didn't give up trying to help these animals, or else that duck might have died on the side of the road as many animals do. There are so many of these stories, not just in my world, but from other rescuers as well. There is a legion of peregrine falcon fans in Duluth MN that await the spring nesting season eagerly every year. I joined their webgroup to keep up with the drama, but was absolutely amazed at the dedication of these people in not only reporting the goings on of the peregrine family, but coming together to report finding young birds on the ground or in distress. Seems that the whole community has become wildlife rescuers!

Homeless people are frequent rescuers, which by the way always touches my heart when someone who has nothing will do everything they can to help an animal in distress. People bring them on the train, on bikes, and even on motorcycles if they need to.

Then there are the others who offer invaluable support for our operation. Whenever in need all we have to do is say the word and they are there. This is by no means a comprehensive list but a few of the very special people who contribute their time and services to us.

Dr. Lorraine Karpinski has brought such a great depth to our rehabilitation's veterinary services at the Miami Science Museum's bird of prey center. She not only consults with us on all cases that involve injuries to the eye, but also performs surgery to restore sight to birds that would otherwise have no life otherwise. We are proud that she is an important part of our team that gives of her valuable skills and time.

This is Tatiana, one of our longest volunteers. It takes dedicated people like her to get us through those crazy days when nothing seems to go right to have someone who is ready to lend that extra hand to try and make it just a little bit easier. Possibly, more important, these individuals share their enthusiasm and curiosity, keeping the job fresh and reminding us every day why we wanted to do this for a living, despite all the ups and downs. They become over time, invaluable, and inevitably our friends.

Sometimes friends come from the strangest places. Jeff from Miami Animal Removal showed up at our door on Christmas Eve 3 years ago (I think) bringing with him an injured broadwing hawk. Jeff was one of those individuals that I liked right away as he has a very calm, very pleasant demeanor. Over the years Jeff passes through our doors regularly, sometimes bringing animals he has rescued on his job, sometimes bringing animals that we have asked him to rescue. Other times, he plays wildlife taxi, ferrying raccoons down to a meeting place for the raccoon rehabilitator close to his home. Jeff is always available to help us for difficult rescues or in a crisis. I like to think of him as the ace up my sleeve!

And last, but certainly not least, the members of the Venom One unit of the Miami Dade Fire Rescue. The have become a huge part of our operation, a huge safety net if you will. They have logged several hundred miles picking up injured wildlife and transporting to our location. They also support us in our special events such as snake day.

Unfortunately we are in danger of losing their services as the Mayor and commissioners of Miami Dade County see fit to cut the county budget and to sacrifice services such as these. Meanwhile the mayor gives double digit percentage raises to his inner circle much to the bewilderment and anger of the taxpayers. To lose the Venom One Unit would be a tragic and critical loss to the community and most certainly to the rehabilitation program at our facility.

In closing, there are too many others, some which can be named, Nelson, Gisella, and others that cannot but their faces and memories are forever burned in my mind. As long as there is an animal in need of help, there will be someone to care, gives me hope to carry on my journey and make a little difference in my corner of the world.