Page 28 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2018

An Unexpected Visitor
Wild animals are in constant need of care and we have a policy of helping them. Usually this means serving as a stop on their journey along the Rescue Railroad (my personal term for the vast wildlife rescue network in our area). We will accept nearly any species of distressed wildlife into the hospital. Sometimes we can help them ourselves, but most often the care that a particular species requires is so speci c that our role is limited to rst aid and sheltering them until someone from the appropriate wildlife rescue group arrives to transport them to the proper care facility.
Sea birds area ne example: The housing and nutritional needs of a Brown Pelican are vastly di erent from those of a White Pelican, even though the species are similar. The Brown Pelicans I have known have been easy going birds who rapidly learned to accept sh pro ered by humans. They don’t understand why we give them sh, but this doesn’t stop them from chugging those sh down by the pound! They seem to look forward to human visits to their cage, knowing there’s a sardine or three coming.
The White Pelican I met was an entirely di erent matter. This lily white, turkey sized Velociraptor was keen to charge the cage bars in a whole hearted e ort to rip the esh from our bones. There was a seriousness to these e orts that was outright scary, and we had to keep his (?) cage covered lest he harm himself in his fury. This White Pelican had been entangled in shing line. Since he was otherwise unhurt, we cut him free and opted for direct release to the mud ats of Bodega Bay, where his cohorts congregate. Normally, it is only necessary to keep sea birds swaddled in a thick towel to control them when they are placed in a carrier for transport. In this case, the bird was so aggressive that we had to both hold him, AND keep a rm grip on his beak to keep him from hurting us or himself during the ve-minute ride to the shore!
Wild animals, even similar species, have very speci c handling, housing, and feeding needs. It is critical that these creatures be turned over to the appropriate care facility if there is to be any chance of success in their rehabilitation. Handling these animals is not a task for the inexperienced, and even professionals know better than to dabble with unfamiliar species. We send these animals through the Rescue Railroad so that trained experts can give them the care they require for return to the wild.
Birds of prey are species with which we are more familiar. These magni cent birds are smart and gentle when handled properly. Hawks usually do not bite (not that we ever rely on it!), but allowing
one to sink its talons into your esh
is a mistake that a hawk handler will make only once. The strength of these birds is truly amazing and they DON’T LET GO. Once properly restrained and their feet controlled, however, these intensely intelligent birds respond well to appropriate care and nutrition.
This young Red-Tailed Hawk was so young that he (?) didn’t even have lice! His juvenile coloration led me to rst believe that he was a Cooper’s Hawk, since his tail had no red at all. It soon became clear that he was a rst year bird, beat up, starving, and unable to get by on his own. A friend had seen the droop- winged bird walking along the side of the road. We drove to the site and found him on the ground, unable to y even ten feet between fallen branches.
I spoke to the bird and calmed him enough to wrap his wings with a thick towel, then made sure his feet were safely tucked away for the trip to the hospital. Once there, we gave him a physical exam and determined that his wings were intact (and that he would indeed be able to y again), then fed him a meal and settled him in for the night.
28 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 4/18
Be a friend to wildlife. Volunteer or donate to Sonoma CountyWildlife Rescue! Visit the BBVH Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ bodegabayveterinary to see more pictures of our friend.
We contacted Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue (a favorite local rescue group) to arrange his transfer. After feeding our friend breakfast and checking him for parasites (since we had plenty of hawk poop to check), we passed him on to the rehabilitation sta to start his journey back to the wild. He was with us only 16 hours, but I’ll never forget him.