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.

Double your pleasure-two vultures released

Two turkey vultures were released this week only a couple of miles from downtown Miami. Why might you ask do we release them there? Simple, that's where they spend their days in the winter. I regularly watch them go back and forth over the Museum at the beginning and toward the end of the day. From time to time we see them flying really low and you can often see their eyes checking you out as they swoop in low to see if they can figure out why all of those birds are down there.

Turkey vultures migrate in large numbers for the winter and fill our skies until spring. Although seemingly sinister to some, they are shy creatures and do not prey on live animals, but prefer to fulfill the role of nature's garbage men. Some may consider them ugly and unappealing, but to see a vulture in flight is truly a majestic sight for me at least.

These unfortunate two were admitted last week after becoming trapped inside an atrium on the roof of a condominium. Thankfully, they only suffered trauma as a result of their predicament and just needed a few days and a few good meals before they were again ready to soar above the high rise buildings in downtown.

Vultures are extremely tough and resilient creatures, but we must treat them quickly as with any bird that needs help. Bird bones are hollow and heal twice as quickly as mammal bones. Delayed treatment can result in an injury that cannot be fixed. Birds will not remain on the ground as a general rule unless feeding. Please report any bird that has been on the ground for more than a couple of hours to your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Why Rehabilitation, Does It Matter?

What a week! Between getting over the holidays and rounding up all of the records that will be included in a report to the federal government, I've had barely time to breathe. I've been sitting on a couple of pictures that I've been dying to post, when it occurred to me that I wanted to address this controversial question that has recently popped up in a fight over the validity of wildlife rehabilitation in the state of North Dakota. Seems that state wildlife agencies believe that the contribution of rehabilitators is insignificant and even at times detrimental to wildlife populations. The outcry against this decision caused reconsideration.. You can read about it in the Grand Forks Herald at http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=100107&section=News

I have many thoughts on this issue, some of which border on the highly emotional "over the top" variety, but I would like to present a couple of cases that arrived this week as evidence for why rehabilitation is so important, both for the animals themselves and for humanity as a whole. It is a lengthy post, but one I hope will be thought provoking.

Example # 1
The evil that men (or women) do

You are looking at a photo of a mourning dove that was admitted at the Miami Science Museum on Wednesday January 7, 2009. What you see protruding from either side of the bird is a blowdart from a blowgun. Unfortunately, I didn't think to snap a picture before I cut off the sharp end and taped it to prevent further injury to the bird or handlers. You can however clearly see that it has been impaled, likely from a person standing over it probably while it was feeding on the ground at a feeder. It was transferred to Pelican Harbor Seabird Station for further care. The dart could not be removed without causing immediate further damage and possible uncontrolled bleeding. Unfortunately it died before surgery could be performed to attempt this delicate procedure.

The woman who discovered this bird, worked tirelessly to find out where to take it. It is not always easy for members of the public to find rehabilitators. After all, there's not a listing in the yellow pages like veterinarians or even pet groomers. Then, after she found the Miami Science Museum, she was faced with the task of capturing the bird. I could not go to the location as I was on the way to an appointment for a recheck on another bird. I offered her the option of bringing it to the vet's office. She agreed but did not come because she could not find the bird. I was now on the way back from the vet's office and I counseled her on where to look for the bird. Finally at around 6pm she called again to tell me she had found it and I was able to arrange with one of our volunteers to receive the bird from her.

Now, imagine this scenario playing out without the rehabilitator. She may have never found the bird, because between the time she saw it and the time I told her to retrieve it and bring it to the vet's office, the bird went and hid. Then if she had in fact found the bird and found no one to help her, she may have attempted to pull the dart out and the bird would have possibly bled to death in front of her.



It would be completely reasonable to say, well the bird would have died quickly rather than in two days. I say however, how would this have affected this person, who by the way was extremely distraught by the cruelty of the individual who had speared this bird? Would she make the effort to save another injured or suffering animal? Because if she did, who would help her anyway? Maybe she would encourage others to do nothing. Or maybe she would continue to try to help, and unknowingly cause the death of a savable animal because of her lack of knowledge.


I say it is not the outcome of this case, but rather what qualities in the human being this little creature brought out. I believe that many or even most of us want to help the helpless, and by feeling that we helped an animal that would have suffered and died a painful death without us, helps us to feel that we can somehow affect a balance for this horrendous act. We were also able to share this story with others as the news media broadcast the photo. Hopefully we were able to spread the word that help is there if they need it, and yes one person can make a difference.

Example #2

There are happy endings
This little hawk is called a sharp shinned hawk. These tiny little bird hunters migrate to our area during the winter months. A concerned citizen found this bird in his back yard unable to fly. it was rescued by the Venom One Response Unit of the Miami Dade Fire Department. They have donated their rescue services this year and become a valuable resource for us during the busiest part of our year. Many thanks always to them for their dedication to saving animals all across Miami Dade County!

We believed that the hawk was suffering from severe head trauma, most likely from a collision with a window, and after less than a month at our facility, it was time for its release back into the wild. The other shots show myself and Lt. Jeff Fobb releasing the bird just outside our facility. Since these birds are migratory, we are allowed to release them in locations of our discretion. The neighborhood of Coconut Grove is comprised of dense canopy and lies within the Atlantic flyway for many migratory birds of prey.


Moments like this are the holy grail of wildlife rehabilitation. Not only do we save the individual, but we contribute to the overall survival of the species by returning an individual that may successfully mate and raise young. To the skeptics and critics of wildlife rehabilitation who claim that a certain percentage of the wildlife population is doomed to die in their first year, I say does that take into account all of the man made obstacles such as cars, windows, buildings, shotguns, and poisons? I see more than enough animals that do not make this comeback from these hazards. So we celebrate these moments of triumph and hope that you will as well, and support wildlife rehabilitation in whatever corner of the world wildlife thrives!