NEWSLETTER FOR WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS OF NORTH
CAROLINA
NEWSLETTER FOR WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS OF NORTH
CAROLINA
Volume 20
21 SeptemberJune 2005
Editors Sally
Davis and Brenda HilesEditors
Sally Davis and Brenda Hiles
WRNC’s 4th Annual
Symposium
Jan. 27 – 29, 2006
WRNC is planning
for its 4th annual symposium, which once again will be held at the
North Carolina Zoo’s Education Center in Asheboro. This year’s symposium will
focus on hands-on activities. Necropsy and drug calculation workshops, cage
building and a series of case studies are planned. We also are planning to have
sessions on some very exciting topics including in-depth rabbit care,
hummingbirds, imprinting and radiographs. Watch our website for
more information as sessions and speakers are confirmed. The registration form
will be available online in October and will be mailed to members in
November.
Again this year we will have
a large selection of books and supplies available for purchase. We are requesting that you pre-order the
books so we can assure that we will have enough copies of the popular titles.
Submit your order on our website or by mailing in the
form on Page 9.
Would you like to give a
presentation at the symposium? See the
Call for Speakers on Page 6 to find out how to submit a
proposal. Speakers are granted a waiver of the registration fee for the
symposium. Would you like to create a
poster to be displayed? We are holding
a poster contest. Use the Call for Speakers form to submit your entry.
We
are looking forward to the best symposium yet.
See you there.
WRNC
is offering a two-day
beginner wildlife
rehabilitation class at several places in the state between now and spring. We are trying to identify areas that do not have a
class taught locally so we can help build a local network. Classes are planned for Washington,
Jacksonville, and Fayetteville.
Registration is required. Register on our website or send an e-mail to the contact person for the
location that you wish to attend. The fee for classes is $25. For
additional details and directions, log on to: http://ncwildliferehab.org
|
Date |
Location |
Contact |
Washington |
Oct . 8-9 |
Goose Creek Nature Center |
|
Jacksonville |
Nov. 5-6 |
Hammocks Beach State Park |
|
Fayetteville |
tbd |
tbd |
WRNC’s 4th Annual Symposium
Jan. 27 – 29, 2006
WRNC is
planning for its 4th annual
symposium, which once again will be held at the North Carolina Zoo’s Education Center in Asheboro. This year’s symposium will focus on
hands-on activities. Necropsy and drug calculation workshops, cage building and
a series of case studies are planned.
We also are planning to have sessions on some very exciting topics
including in-depth rabbit care, hummingbirds, imprinting and radiographs. Watch our Web site for more information as
sessions and speakers are confirmed. The registration form will be available
online in October and will be mailed to members in November.
Again
this year we will have a large selection of books and supplies available for
purchase. We are requesting that you
pre-order the books so that we can assure that we will have enough copies of
the popular titles. Submit your order
from our Web site or by mailing in the form on page x.
Would you
like to give a presentation at the symposium?
See the Call for Speakers on page x to find
out how to submit a proposal. Speakers
are granted a waiver of the registration fee for the symposium. Would you like to create a poster to be
displayed? We are also accepting
posters presentations. Use the Call for
Speakers form to submit your entry.
We are
looking forward to the best symposium yet.
See you there.
Related articles:
·
Buy supplies, page
·
Order books, page
·
Make a presentation, page
·
For updated calendar, course information and registration
go to: http://www.iwrc-online.org/training/training.cfm
·
The WRNC Web site maintains a training information page with
contact details. Check it out at: http:////www.ncwildliferehab.org/wrnctrain.htm
·
For a refresher course in your town, contact
Carla Johnson at Wildlifeed2@aol.com or Jean Chamberlain at jchamberlain1@alltel.net
for
details.
·
The WRNC Web site maintains a training information
page with contact details.
Check it out at: http://www.ncwildliferehab.org/wrnctrain.htm
For a refresher course in your
town, contact Carla Johnson or Jean Chamberlain for details
·
Like to travel? IWRC upcoming classes and locations:
Date |
Course |
Location |
|
|
|
Oct. 8- Oct. 9 |
1AB: Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation |
Kingston, RI |
Nov. 8 – Nov. |
1AB: Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation |
Toronto, ON CANADA |
Nov. 8 |
4BB: Initial Wildlife Care |
Toronto, ON CANADA |
Nov. 9 |
3BB: Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition |
Toronto, ON CANADA |
NC Permit Policy Clarified
By Jean Chamberlain
Because there has been confusion about North
Carolina’s policy on subpermittees and application requirements, we have asked
Daron Barnes at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to clarify the
policy for us.
North Carolina does allow subpermittees
under the rehabilitation permit, Barnes said. A
permit is issued to an individual at a specific location. Others do not need their own permit to work
under that individual at the permitted location. However, if an individual wants to take an animal home or to any
other location, a separate permit is required.
Subpermittees are not listed on state permits as they are on federal
permits.
When a North Carolina resident applies for a
federal permit, a state permit must be submitted with the application. Barnes
noted that one must also be covered by a state permit to be a
subpermittee on a federal permit. One may either hold a state permit
or be a subpermittee under another's state permit to meet this
requirement.could
Barnes also clarified the policy on the application
requirements for the state rehab permit, particularly the training requirement.
The permit application requires the submission of two references from people in
the animal field. A letter of
recommendation from each of these references should be attached to your
application. They are developing new requirements for formalized animal
training that will be required when applying for a permit. They prefer that a copy of the certification
from a course be sent with the application, if possible. Completion of ourthe WRNC refresher course is one way
to meet this requirement.
State Airdrops
Rabies Vaccine For
Raccoons
North Carolina began an airdrop in August aimed at
stopping the spread of rabies among raccoons in the western part of the state.
Planes dropped fishy smelling baits that resemble a ketchup
package in Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties.
The oral vaccine also was distributed by hand in
urban areas, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The
program is being funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife
Services Agency and the state Department of Health and Human Services' Division
of Public Health.
Because
there has been confusion about North Carolina’s policy on subpermittees and
application requirements, we have asked sssssssssssss at the North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission to clarify the policy for us.
North Carolina does allow subpermittees on
the rehabilitation permit, he said. A
permit is issued to an individual at a specific location. Others do not need their own permit to work
under that individual at the permitted location. However, if an individual wants to take an animal home or to any
other location, a separate permit is required.
Subpermittees are not listed on state permits as they are on federal
permits.
A state permit must be submitted with the
application for a federal permit. One
can be a subpermittee on a federal permit if one is a subpermittee on a state
permit at a location covered by a federal permit.
Xxxxxxxxxxx also clarified the policy on the
application requirements for the state rehab permit, particularly the training
requirement. Formalized animal training
is required. The training can be course
work or an apprenticeship. The permit
application also requires the submission of two references in the animal field. It is preferred that a copy of the
certification from a course be sent with the application if possible. Completion of our refresher course is one
way to meet this requirement.
Basics
for Beginners - Soft Releasing Squirrels
By Jean Chamberlain
We all want to release our animals under
the best conditions possible. For
squirrels this means we should provide a soft release. Fortunately this is fairly easy to do. One morning open the door of the cage. ; tThe squirrels
will eventually venture out. This
provides them an opportunity to explore and practice climbing and jumping on
high branches, getting needed exercise.
Just before dark they will return to their nest box in the cage. Close the door after they have all returned.
Continue to open the door in the mornings, closing it at night. The squirrels will find an abandoned nest or
build a new one. They will locate the
local food supply. One night they will
not return. It normally takes a week
or two before they are ready to leave the cage for good.
Some
people use another method. They have a
hole about 3 inches in
diameter on one side of the cage near the top.
The hole should be large enough for the squirrels to go in and out, but
not large enough for predators to enter.
It is covered until it is time to begin the release.
Open it for the release. InWith this method the squirrels will also
leave each morning and return in the evening until they have found a better
home.
For both methods it is important that you use the outdoor cage that the squirrels have
been the outdoor cage that the squirrels have
been using for some time prior to the release. It must have a nest box that they think of
as their own. Success depends on their the squirrels returning to it each
evening until they have found another safe place to spend the night.
.
Here is your chance
to do your little bit for the environment and
also save money for things
of of more
use to the membership than printing and sending paper in the mail.
Send an e-mail to WRNCnews@aol.com from
the e-mail at
which you would like to receive your newsletter.
Include your name in the body of the email so we can track your preference.
Dangers lurking at the bird
feeder
By Elizabeth Hanrahan
birdworld@ocracokenc.net
The growth in birding has manifested itself in many ways. Bird-watching
is said to be the second most popular form of recreation, exceeded only by
gardening.
An estimated one-third of American households maintainmaintains bird feeders or
feed backyard birds. Range expansion of many species -- northern cardinal,
mourning dove, red-bellied woodpecker and house finch -- has been related to
supplemental feeding. Feeding may help many birds, especially those that are
weak, through extremes in weather.
In However, in some cases, bird feeders can
attract weakened or sick individuals and promote the spread of avian disease.
Backyard feeding creates a concentration of songbirds and can increase the risk
of disease. Direct bird-to-bird contact, aerosols, or contamination of food or
birdbaths may spread infectious agents.
Sick birds usually are less active and may have
ruffled or fluffed feathers. They may roost near feeders, increasing the
chances of spreading disease. The disease itself may cause death or make the
birds so sick that they are more
susceptible to predation, harsh weather or accidents.
The most common disease risks at feeders include trichomoniasis, mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, aspergillosis
and salmonellosis.
1.
Trichomoniasis is caused by a protozoan parasite. It is frequently seen in
mourning doves and pigeons. It can occur in raptors that prey on sick
birds. Trichomoniasis causes yellowish
masses in the mouth and throat. Sick birds are often emaciated and may have
difficulty breathing, eating and drinking. Birds may drop trichomonas-
contaminated food or water
from their mouths, creating a source of infection for healthy
birds. Parent doves can spread the disease to their young when they feed them
crop milk. Proper maintenance and cleaning of feeders and birdbaths are
important in reducing the transmission of “trich.”
2.
Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis or “house finch conjunctivitis” is a bacterial
infection first recognized in 1994. Signs include swelling, watery, mucus
discharge from the eyes or nostrils of house finches. Clinical signs may be resolve with timed on their own, or more commonly result in blindness and death. Transmission
at bird feeders can occur by direct contact with infected birds or by contact
with contaminated objects. It is known to spread through the air when large
numbers of house finches use bird feeders.
3.
Aspergillosis is a common disease most often associated with waterfowl and
aquatic birds. It is also seen in
songbirds. Many birds do not exhibit clinical signs, though they may have
respiratory distress and appear emaciated and weak. Aspergillosis is caused by
a fungus that grows in warm, damp environments. It can be found in damp feed orand damp vegetative matter
on the ground under bird feeders. Birds inhale the fungal spores which that can cause this
respiratory disease and ultimate death.
4. Salmonella infection in songbirds
results in intestinal illness characterized by diarrhea and weakness. Birds may
become dehydrated, emaciated and die. The bacteria is shed in the feces and
passed to other birds through food contaminated by sick birds. Several
outbreaks of salmonella in birds have been associated with feeders contaminated by rodent,
reptile or mammal feces. Transmission of salmonella by songbirds does not pose
a significant health
(Continued on next page)
(Continued
from previous page)
contaminated by rodent,
reptile or mammal feces. Transmission of salmonella by songbirds does not
pose a significant health risk to people. However, washing hands
with warm, soapy water is recommended after potential exposure to sources of
infection from any source.
These recommendations for
bird feeders will reduce the spread of these and other diseases:
1. Space out feeders in the yard to avoid crowding
birds. A dispersed and diversified feeding arrangement will reduce stress,
lessen the risk of transmitting disease and will attract more birds of
different species.
2. Use
feeders that have smooth edges, are easy to clean and have good drainage.
3. Keep feeders and birdbaths clean! A
solution of 1 part household bleach in 9 parts water is a
good, inexpensive, disinfectant. Clean particulate matter off
the birdbath surface,
parts water
is a good, inexpensive, disinfectant. Clean particulate matter off the birdbath
surface, disinfect by spraying the solution and leaving it on for
10 minutes, then allow the feeders to dry before refilling.
Soc Socksks used for
thistleseed can be thrown in the washing machine. Disinfect feeders and
birdbaths twice a month or weekly in hot weather. Platform and hummingbird
feeders may need more frequent cleaning.
4. Areas under feeders should be kept clean and free of
seed debris, spoiled food, and droppings.
5. Do not allow
seed and bird feed to become damp or wet. Discard moldy seed. Protect your
valuable bird feed from rodents and other animals.
6. If a
disease outbreak occurs, clean and move feeders and birdbaths to a new location
or stop feeding for several weeks.
Need Supplies? Let Us
Know
WRNC will offer
supplies to members at its next symposium for what it costs us to purchase
them. Please let us know if there are specific items you would like to have
available that are not listed below. We will do what we can to obtain them at
the lowest prices possible through discounted and bulk buying. The
pricing quoted below is the cost of purchasing items from us.
Send an e-mail to Beth at WRNCnews@aol.com
if you are interested in purchasing any of the following items, and including include the desired
quantity so that we may order sufficient supplies to have on hand.
The items marked with (* ) will only be ordered if members
send an e-mail to say they would like to purchase them (otherwise there will be
none available at the symposium).
* These items can be viewed at:.
http://www.cynmar.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=owl.
The Web site doesn’t include shipping and handling costs.
·
5 ½”½”r rounded point metal tweezers
for bird feeding at $1.20 each
·
7 ½” bandage scissors at $2.30 each
·
Nitrile gloves (stronger than latex) at $4.30 - $5 for a
box of 100
·
Syringes, 20cc, 5cc, 3cc and 1cc
·
Needles, 25g, 22g and 20g
·
·
Feeding tubes, 3.5 FR, 5 FR
·
Nuts and bolts for carriers
·
(*) Barn owl charts (2) at $7
·
(*) Owl pellet manual, $30
·
(*) Owl pellets, $1.75
·
(*) Charts – dissection, $29
Wildlife Rehabilitators of
North Carolina invites members and associated wildlife professionals to give a
presentation at its annual symposium on January 28 –
29. Presentations may be on topics such
as species needs, natural history, veterinary medicine, education programs,
administration and wildlife care.
Submissions will be accepted
by mail or online.
Submissions should include a brief abstract of the
proposed presentation. A short
biography should be included with your application. It should
describe relevant experiences in your field and on the
topic being presented. Individuals may submit more than one abstract. All
submissions are subject to committee review. The symposium registration fee is
waived for speakers.
ORAL PRESENTATION: a powerpoint/slide
presentation, demo, case study or skit on wildlife rehabilitation topics
WORKSHOP: a guided “hands-on” session
demonstrating techniques or skills used in wildlife rehabilitation or closely
related field
Please complete a form for each presentation that
you would like to propose. Mail the
completed form to WRNC, 2542 Weymoth Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Alternatively, complete
and submit the form on our website (http://ncwildliferehab.org).
Name:
________________________________________________________________________________
Address:
______________________________________________________________________________
City/Town: ______________________ State: _____________ Zip code: _______________
Telephone number: _______________ Alternate number: ________________
Email address:
_________________________________________________
Circle the
type of presentation: Oral Presentation Workshop Poster
Presentation Title:
___________________________________________________________________
Abstract: (Description of the scope of
the presentation..)
__ flip chart __white
board __overhead projector
__slide projector __powerpoint projector
Biography: (Please briefly describe
relevant experiences and your qualifications to present on this topic.
Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina invites
members and associated wildlife professionals to give a presentation at its
annual symposium Jan. 28 – 29.
Presentations may be on topics such as species needs, natural history,
veterinary medicine, education programs, administration and wildlife care.
Submissions will be accepted by mail or online.
Submit a brief abstract of the proposed presentation with a short biography
describing relevant experiences in your field and on the topic being presented.
Individuals may submit more than one abstract. All submissions are subject to
committee review. The symposium registration fee is waived for speakers presenting oral
presentations or workshops. Fees are not waived for poster entries.
ORAL PRESENTATION: a PowerPoint/slide presentation, demo, case study
or skit on wildlife rehabilitation topics.
WORKSHOP: a guided “hands-on” session demonstrating
techniques or skills used in wildlife rehabilitation or a closely related field.
POSTER: a visual display on a particular technique,
project, or case study that may include photographs, diagrams, pictures and
drawings.
Please complete a form for each presentation that
you would like to propose. Mail the
completed form to WRNC, 2542 Weymoth Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27103, or complete
and submit the form on our website http://ncwildliferehab.org
Name: ________________________________________________________________________________
Address:
______________________________________________________________________________
City/Town: ______________________ State: _____________ Zip code: _______________
Telephone number: _______________ Alternate number: ________________
E-mail address:
_________________________________________________
Circle the type of presentation: Oral Presentation Workshop Poster
(Continued
on next page)
(Continued
from previous page)
Presentation Title:
___________________________________________________________________
Abstract: (Description of the scope of the presentation.)
__
flip chart __white
board __overhead
projector
__slide
projector __PowerPoint
projector
Biography:
Please briefly describe relevant experiences and your qualifications to present
on this topic. Include a list of any prior presentations. , as well as an abstract and a list of prior presentations. Deadline is Oct. 15.
Do you have a little “pearl of wisdom” that makes your job easier? If
so, pass it
along. Send your
“pearls” to Toni
O’Neil, oneil9734@yahoo.com
Reserve
Your Books Now!
We againOnce again we will offer for sale a wide range of books at the
symposium in January. In order to
better meet the demand, we are asking people to reserve books. Reserved books will be held for payment
until noon on Saturday at the symposium.
You will
pay no shipping
charges. Those books that are not
claimed and paid for by noon will be made available forto others to purchase. We anticipate having all the titles listed below. Let us know if there is a book you would
like us to get. We try to purchase each
book from the vendor with the lowest price.
To reserve books, send an email to jchamberlain1@alltel.net, reserve
them online on our Web Site, http://ncwildliferehab.org,
or send a reservation request to WRNC, 2542 Weymoth Road, Winston-Salem, NC
27103
send an email to jchamberlain1@alltel.net, reserve
them online on our Web Site, http://ncwildliferehab.org,
or send a reservation request to WRNC, 2542 Weymoth Road, Winston-Salem, NC
27103
Title
|
Source
|
Price
|
Willowbrook Wildlife Center Pharmaceutical Index |
NWRA |
$17 |
Quick Reference |
NWRA |
$9 |
Introduction to Wildlife Education Programming: |
NWRA |
$18 |
Wildlife In Education: A Guide for the Care and
Use of Program Animals |
NWRA |
$27 |
Principles of Wildlife Rehabilitation, 2nd
edition |
NWRA |
$65 |
The Exotic Animal Formulary |
NWRA |
$40 |
Care & Management of Captive Raptors |
NWRA |
$30 |
Topics in Wildlife Medicine: Clinical Pathology |
NWRA |
$25 |
Thoughts for Food |
NWRA |
$16 |
Wildlife Rehabilitation Do It Yourself! |
WRT |
$9.95 |
The Songbird Diet Index |
WRT |
$33 |
Wild Neighbors: the Humane Approach to Living
With Wildlife |
WRT |
$20.95 |
Minimum Standards |
IWRC |
$6 |
Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation |
IWRC |
$30 |
Feeding and Nutrition of Wildlife |
IWRC |
$20 |
Initial Wildlife Care |
IWRC |
$15 |
Fluid Therapy for Wildlife Species |
IWRC |
$10 |
Body Weights of 686 Species of North American
Birds |
IWRC |
$10 |
Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North
American Birds |
IWRC |
$23 |
Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases in the
Southeastern United States |
SCWDS |
$20 |
Manual of Ornithology - Avian Structures &
Function |
Amazon |
$30 |
American Wildlife & Plants, A Guide to
Wildlife Food Habits |
Amazon |
$10.46 |
Cage Grant Update
Wild for Life in
Asheville received one of three $250 grants awarded by WRNC to repair a cage
damaged during storms last fall. A tree downed by flooding crashed into the
enclosure used to house songbirds and small raptors, causing structural damage
and destroying the hardware cloth and fiberglass screen. The newly repaired
enclosure houses 12 songbirds. WRNC plans to offer
two cage grants of $250 next year. The application form,
along with requirements, will be published in the
last newsletter of the year.
Q: Why
should Imodium (Lloperamide)
be used with caution,
or not at all, in
some mammals for diarrhea?
A: Loperamide is an over- the- counter, oral
synthetic opioid. Its mode of action is increasing rhythmic segmentation
in the intestine resulting in a decreased transit time of contents and
increased absorption of same. It slows propulsive movement of contents
through the intestine, decreasing motility. The effect is to suppress
or stop diarrhea. It is often referred to as an anti-motility drug.
Loperamide should be used in
ruminants, such as deer, with caution! Because, it may also inhibit the
cyclical ruminal contractions necessary for normal rumen function (i.e. eructation
(burping) of gas and , mixing
of rumen contents) possibly
which
canresulting in
lead to acidosis
and bloat.
Loperamide should NOT be used in
mammals when any of the following are present: fever, blood or mucous in stool,
infectious diarrhea/intestinal toxins (e.g. E. coli, Ssalmonella, Pparvovirus, or food poisoning) or
liver problems. These signs indicate that an infectious diarrhea may be
present. The anti-motility action of the drug will can give pathogenic bacteria
more time to multiply resulting in intestinal bacterial overgrowth,
absorption of toxins into the blood stream and sepsis, where organisms
breach the intestinal mucosa and enter the blood stream, which can lead to
multiple organ failure and shock.
Loperamide should only be used in
mammals with dietary- or stress-related diarrhea.
Constipation and bloat are two side effects possible with with its use in mammals.of the use of this drug in any
mammal
If
you have any questions you would like WRNC to answer in future newsletters,
submit them to
Jean Beth Knapp-Tyner at WildatHeartRehab@aol.com
Chamberlain at jchamberlain1@alltel.net
Spotlight on
Wild for Life
By Mary Beth Bryman
Wild for Life: Center for Rehabilitation of
Wildlife, Inc. is a nonprofit organization in Asheville that is dedicated to
the rehabilitation of western North Carolina’s injured and orphaned wild
animals. The primary goal of Wild for Life is to rehabilitate the animals,
recondition them and release them to their natural habitat. Our second goal is
to educate the public about wildlife and about the importance of preservation
and conservation.
Susie Wright, the primary animal caregiver at Wild
for Life, began rehabilitating wild animals more than 15 years ago when she
obtained her state and federal permits. Mary Beth Bryman joined the team three years later. Both have completed
certified rehabilitation courses, internships, and attended continuing
education classes, seminars and national and international symposiums.
Wild for Life was incorporated in 1999 with the
help of an attorney and an accountant who donated their services. Wright and
Bryman nurtured the organization from its infancy to its current position.
Wild for Life has grown from haphazardly built
cages constructed from pallets with 30 animals housed in one den, to a rapidly
expanding facility. The center is housed in several buildings that include an
office and animal-receiving area, a nursery for songbirds and mammals, and an
area that houses injured birds of prey. The most recent additions are a 60-foot
flight cage for large birds of prey built by Roots and Shoots (Who are they ?????) of
Carolina Day School and a quadruplex quadruplex of 8 x 8 x 8 songbird enclosures
constructed by Travis Reece, an intern from the University of North Carolina at
Asheville’s Environmental Studies Department.
When asked her favorite animal to rehabilitate,
Wright quickly answers “chimney swifts.”
“When I
started rehabilitating, I was told they could not be released,” Wright said.
“They were impossible to raise. I knew there had to be a way to save these
guys. Last year we received 31 swifts and released 28.”
Bryman’s favorite animal to rehabilitate is the
crow.
“The first
animal I encountered in rehabilitation was a crow, and I learned how
intelligent these animals are. At Wild for Life, enrichment is an important
facet of rehabilitation. I discovered early on that crows need a wide variety
of stimulation.”
Bryman and Wright also educate people about
wildlife, emphasizing that wild animals shouldn’t be taken out of the wild to
become pets.
“If we can change a person’s perception about
wildlife and their value, we have really succeeded,” Wright said. “Wild animals
are meant to be wild, and that is the way we keep them.”
Environmental education has grown out of
rehabilitation. Wright and Bryman started rehabilitating because of the
animals.
They learned that educating people is the best way to
help wildlife. Whether that means talking with someone who brings an animal to
the facility for rehabilitation or doing a formal presentation to the local
chapter of Audubon, they try to get people excited about wildlife.
“We want people to know they can make a
difference,” Wright said.
They especially enjoy working with children. “To see a sparkle in a child’s eyes and
know they learned something today they will take with them, is as satisfying as
releasing an animal back to the wild,” Wright said.
Wild for Life has state and federal permits for
seven non-releasable birds of prey and one non-releasable Virginia opossum,
Christopher. The birds of prey include:
Willow and Augustus, red-tailed hawks; Pretty Boy, a turkey vulture; Odessa, a
great-horned owl; Pickles and Rufous, eastern screech owls, and Oolu, a barred
owl.
(Continued
on next page)
(Continued from previous
page)
It soon became apparent there was a need for a
rehabilitation facility in Asheville/Buncombe
(Continued on next page)
County. Wild for Life rehabilitates about 250 animals a year. But it must turns
away as many animals as it rehabilitates. HOW MANY DO YOU REHABILITATE
IN A YEAR? Time and money are both issues.
“Saying no to an animal in need is the hardest
thing we do, but we must set a limit to the number of animals we take in so we
can give the ones we have the quality care they need,” Wright said.
“Eventually we
don’t want to have to ever turn an animal away that needs our help.”
Wright and Bryman
work regular jobs so time is limited.
They hired their first paid employee this summer, Laura Branch, who
interned at Wild for Life
last year.
The facility will keep growing.
Ambassador
Row (What Ambassador’s Row?) is designed and Mmoney is being
sought to build Ambassador
Row, a facility to house the educational animals under one roof, with
room for expansion. The
complex will also include space for educational programs. More
rehabilitation enclosures are soon to come. They would like to
expand their educational programs and add more full-time paid staff positions.
They’re also looking forward to constructing a state-of-the-art facility,
including classrooms and a gift shop.
Wright and Bryman work regular jobs so time is
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on next page)
(Continued on next page
.
‘Just Because
You’re a Member’
To
let members know we appreciate them, a drawing was held June 26 to award $10 gift certificates and T-shirts
from Jeffers Pet Supplies. The prizes were mailed to winners with their June
newsletter.
Winners of the gift
certificates are:
Ky
Adeduji
Robert
Blohme
Anita
Carter
Benita
Crow
Cindy
Donohoo
Leslie
Franco
Beth
Golic
Jan
Harris
Susan
Saunders
Jo-Anna
Spector
The following members
received a
T-shirt:
Jaime
Allen
Jeri
Cone
Judith
Dempsey
Terry
Earnhardt
Mathias
Engelmann
Deborah
Gluck
Vicki
Gower
Bernice
Hilton
Martha
Kraus
Lynn
Mastin
Mildred
McLean
Megan
Miller
Tracey
Ramsey
JoAnn
Underhill
Linda Woods
Spotlight on OWLS continued
On-site we are expanding our education areas as
well. We have created a Discovery Classroom that includes information and
hands-on exhibits about the variety of wildlife we share in Eastern North
Carolina. It includes information about everything from birds, to bugs to
reptiles and even plants. A current exhibit gives step-by-step instructions
about how to create a backyard habitat and have it certified. We created a
reading corner with soft pillows where parents can sit with their children and
read about the wildlife in our area. We
have an owl pellet corner, an animal tracks corner, a resource library and many
other educational tools available for anyone who comes to visit. Our gift shop is a favorite spot to browse
for wildlife-related souvenirs.
OWLS offers behind-the-scenes tours of the clinic
and nurseries three days a week. On our
grounds we also have created a 2-acre nature trail where native plants are
identified so visitors can consider incorporating these into their yards. A
future addition will include areas to attract amphibians. A pollinator garden
is being planted to teach about the importance of our natural pollinators such
as hummingbirds, bats, bees, butterflies and even moths. Outdoor bird-feeding stations cover the
grounds and a large pond allows visitors to see everything from Canada geese
and migrating ducks to cormorants and great blue herons.
In addition to OWLS' passionate and selfless
commitment to providing the best possible medical attention and stewardship of
all wildlife entrusted to our care, there is a self-serving goal. It's getting
the community to value the service we provide. When we are perceived as valuable,
we help guarantee OWLS' future and our ability to continue the important work
of wildlife rehabilitation. If you're ever out our way, drop in and say hello,
or visit us at www.owlsonline.org
Many rehabilitators hesitate
to take cottontails. They have a reputation of being more difficult to
rehabilitate than other mammals such as opossums and squirrels. This is because
many more things are stressful to cottontails. A key to successfully
rehabilitating them is to reduce stress in their environment.
Cottontails should be handled
as little as possible. When they are on formula, handle them only at feeding
times. Weigh them and change their bedding at the same time to reduce the
number of times you disturb them.
Keep them in a quiet place
where the temperature is comfortable throughout the day and night. If they are
too young to have their eyes open, use a heating pad set on low, placed under
half the container. They do best in containers appropriate for their size.
Small boxes or plastic containers lined with sweatshirt material can be used
when their eyes are still closed.
Move them
to larger tubs, as they get older. Don’t use transparent or wire cages because
once their eyes are open they will try to escape. It is best to have a covered
tub with a ventilated lid. Tubs with the lid on top rather than in the front
make it easier and less stressful when you pick up the bunny. Provide alfalfa hay
for nesting. As they reach the weaning
stage, they need enough room to make individual nests. Crowded conditions are
stressful.
Bunnies are sensitive to many
things we normally don’t consider. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling
them to remove creams and scents. Never
smoke around them. Don’t allow them to become familiar to dog and cat scents,
including those on your hands or clothing. If you own pets, you may need to
change your clothes each time you feed the bunnies. Be sure they are kept in an area the pets don’t visit. Also use distilled water to mix their
formula. Young rabbits are sensitive to the low levels of bacteria found in
well water and to the chlorine and other chemicals in tap water.
As the time for release
nears, place them in a room with the windows open, or on a porch where they are
exposed to fresh air and natural conditions. Placing them outdoors where they
could be exposed to predators is not recommended
Killdeer
By Toni O’Neil
Killdeer, like other
high-strung birds, are a challenge to raise in captivity. They’re precocial
birds that must begin to eat on their own soon or they simply stop trying. The
first 48 hours of care is crucial and may determine whether the bird survives.
If you are not successful in locating the lost
parent and siblings and are truly going to have to try to raise a single
killdeer, here are some tips that have worked for me:
·If it is a newly hatched
bird, 8-10 grams, it may not be ready to eat right away because it is still
digesting its yolk sac. It is important to keep the young bird hydrated - try
giving it drops of warm Ringers Solution from your fingertip rather than tubing
it orally. I have tubed killdeer as a last resort, if they weren't standing and
seemed weak. Be aggressive in the fluid therapy - if it's dehydrated, it won't
eat.
·Keep the baby warm! I use a
heat lamp and a heating pad set on medium under three-fourths of a small
plastic container, the type crabs are sold in. If the bird
is on its feet, try to get it to eat. Movement is the key; use active
mealworms. That means if you keep them in the refrigerator, you should allow
them to warm up before feeding them to the bird. Use only small mealworms -
remember the size of the bird's beak. Once the bird starts to grow, you can
switch to medium and eventually large mealworms. I agitate the small mealworms
frequently by shaking them and stirring them. Moving mealworms will catch the
young bird's eye. Remove dead mealworms because they won't get eaten.
·I found it tricky to provide
a floor surface that prevents the bird's legs from slipping but doesn't allow
the mealworms to crawl under it. I finally settled on strips of adhesive tape about one-half inch apart on
the bottom of the plastic container. This
provides traction, and the mealworms can't hide. Clean it by picking out the fecal matter daily. Every few days,
wipe down the tape, and when it gets too nasty, replace the plastic
container with one
that has clean tape. I tried using the strips used in bathtubs, but they didn’t provide enough traction. The very young birds'
legs kept slipping, which could lead to joint damage. Sprinkle the bottom of the box with Start & Grow poultry
chow by Purina. This will give the bird something to eat in addition to the
mealworms and will also give it more traction.
·Place a very shallow bowl of
vitamin water in the corner, away from the heating pad. Try teaching the bird
to drink by dipping its beak into the water. They usually get the hang of it
fairly fast, but it may take a few lessons. Don't allow the bird to get wet and
chilled. Change the vitamin water daily
because the
vitamins degrade.
·Keep three sides of the box covered with contact paper, or drape it with a towel. In
front of the clear side, place a mirrored tile so the bird sees its reflection
for company.
·Hang a feather duster above
the heated side of the box to allow the bird to hide. Raise the feather duster
as the bird grows to allow enough space for the bird to stand upright under it.
·As the bird grows, you can
move it to an aquarium. Keep the three sides covered; use two mirrored tiles
along the clear side, and keep using the feather duster. Use either adhesive
tape strips on the bottom of the aquarium or bathtub strips to give the bird
enough traction.
·I've found "less is
best" - the less you handle the young bird, the less stress you will
cause. Being precocial, they eat on their own upon hatching. Force-feeding
squelches self-feeding instincts. However, if one is extremely weak and has
difficulty eating, I'd force-feed it a soaked mealworm every three to four
hours to give it the energy to recover. Again, that's a last resort. I'd also
use LRS with dissolved poultry chow for the oral rehydration treatment.
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·Keep it quiet. Once the bird
is eating on its own and gaining weight, I try not to disturb it. Take a quick
peek to see it has enough food and water, stir up the mealworms, then leave it
alone.
Board
Meetings Summary
By Sally Davis
The WRNC Board met April 16th to discuss
this year’s symposium and to plan for next year’s. The symposium held Feb. 25-27 at the N.C. Zoo attracted 125
people who attended workshops, taught or helped. The 2006 symposium will be held from Jan. 27-29. Among the
training sessions under consideration for next year are: radiographs, in-depth
rabbit care, idea sharing, imprinting and a question-and-answer period. Hummingbirds, necropsy and grant writing are
also among the ideas for new sessions. Workshops in 2006 may include bandaging
for avian and mammals, calculating drug dosages and a session on splinting,
bandaging, wound management and tube feeding.
We also will be accepting
pre-paid orders for books to be picked up during the symposium. Order forms
will appear in the newsletter.
The Board awarded three cage-building
grants totaling $750 this year. We’re considering conducting a cage-building
session during next year’s symposium where a cage would be built on site and
raffled. We also agreed that in order
to avoid the appearance of
impropriety, board members would not be eligible to receive
cage-building grants in the future.
Next year’s symposium will be
advertised through the newsletter and fliers. Advertising through newsletters
and newspapers that reach potential participants and contributors is also under
investigation. Board members agreed not to spend money for advertising, but to
use the existing channels of publicity.
After
preliminary discussions by email, the board met a second time on May 25th to vote on
financial foci for WRNC funds. All board
members participated. The following
motions received a majority vote:
·The WRNC will sponsor a
continuing education program for vets and vet techs.
·The WRNC
will create a plan where we can help people get their federal permit
to rehabilitate birds. Hold classes specifically
for bird rehabilitators, and/or organize some type of internship program
to facilitate getting the 100 hours of experience.
·The WRNC will identify areas
of the state that do not have a local organization where we
can teach the expanded beginner class and help build the local
network. Also the preference was to
offer these courses regionally.
·More money will be invested
in the symposium itself. Ideas that
were favored incuded: more refreshments
than vegetable trays and chips, more advanced classes and spending to have
speakers come.
·The WRNC will form a
committee to set up an emergency fund of $2,000.00 to draw from to
assist fellow rehabilitators when a hurricane or other
natural disaster strikes.
·The WRNC will maintain
adherence to the awarding of a cage grant at $500.00 only to those who
meet eligibility requirements.
·Change the WRNC fiscal year
by authorizing the treasurer to set the new fiscal year date to a date that
better matches annual WRNC activity.
This date would remain constant then until this issue is raised again
and put to another vote.
The following motions did not
receive majority vote:
·The WRNC will authorize a
committee to investigate and return findings to the board regarding the
hiring of a lobbyist to push for rehabilitation of Rabies Vector Species.
·The WRNC will financially
assist the fawn rehabilitation program.
(The common reason given was that WRNC should not favor one
rehabilitation species over another.)
Those
decisions that did not map to an existing committee called for formation of new
committees. These committees with
initial members appear below. The board
welcomes additional committee members from among the membership. Please contact Linda Bergman if you would
like to serve in an open position.
Committee
for Continuing Education of Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians
·Jean Chamberlain
·Mathias Engelmann
·Sally Davis
·Joan McMurray
Federal
Permits for Birds Assistance Committee
·Toni O’Neill
·Joan McMurray
·Elizabeth Hanrahan
·Seeking 1 member
Emergency
Fund Set-up and Administration Committee
·Beth Knapp-Tyner
·Linda Bergman
·Mary Weiss
·Jennifer Burgin
Banded Birds for WRNC
By Elizabeth
Hanrahan
Occasionally wildlife
rehabilitators receive birds with metal or plastic bands on their legs. Or, a goose or duck may bear a collar or
other marker. Racing or homing pigeons are often received with one or two
plastic leg bands on both legs.
Each year
more than half a million North American birds are marked with small metal bands
placed on their lower leg by licensed banders for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service. In spite of the massive number of birds banded annually, less than 5
percent are recaptured or recovered. Hundreds of pigeons are banded by Pigeon
Racing Clubs each year. Racing pigeons can get “lost.” When someone reports the
band numbers, grateful owners know that the bird is safe, and hopefully, will return home.
By reporting band numbers,
the wildlife rehabilitator can contribute to scientific studies, locate the
owner of a valuable sport bird, and thrill the presenter of the bird with a
Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S.Geological Survey. All the above
provide good public relations for the wildlife rehabilitator and the
rehabilitation facility.
USFW Bands
Hundreds of passerines are banded throughout North
and South America each year at stations known as MAPS -- Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival. Specialized banding is done on raptors, seabirds
and waterfowl. These birds are banded by federally licensed “cooperators” of
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Each of these bands carries a unique serial number and the abbreviated
name and address
(ContinuedTo return
the pigeon, record the band number on the admission form. Then go to the
internet and either Google “banded pigeons” or go to the Web site for the
International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers at www.ifpigeon.com. Here you will find information and contacts
for all racing pigeons. You also will find information on care and proper
release.
You can easily read the band number which will tell
you the origin of the bird. For example, a number might be IF-1964-SMO-2004.
This series of letters and numbers would be interpreted as:
IF =
International Federation
1964 = the serial number identifying that bird
SM0 = local Pigeon Club code within the
organization
= the year
the pigeon was born.
You may then call or write the owner of the bird
and make arrangements to have the owner pick it up or release the bird and
allow it to fly home. Be sure to notify the owner when the bird is released.
In the case above, the pigeon was from Naples, Fla.
It entered its 10th race of the 2005 season on
April 16. It was to fly from Naples, Fla. to Atlanta, Ga. A low-pressure area
and storms blew it off course. It was recovered on Ocracoke Island on Monday,
April 18th.
Book Corner
By Brenda Hiles
“The Geese of Beaver Bog”
By Bernd Heinrich
HarperCollins
202 pages
$24.95
In the summer of 1998, biologist Bernd Heinrich
became a foster parent to a gosling he named Peep. Peep lived on the lawn of
Heinrich's house in Maine, following him and his family like she would her own.
Heinrich devised strategies to escape Peep's attention. He'd throw cracked corn
on the lawn and slip out the back door. But Peep soon became wise and followed
him.
The first time she saw him get in his pick up
truck, she followed, flying behind him along the road to town. "Perhaps to
Peep I had entered something akin to a flock; I had disappeared into something
big, mobile, and noisy," Heinrich writes. "And so she had
followed." A week later, Peep leaves Heinrich, presumably to join one of
the noisy, honking formations of Canada geese heading south for the winter.
So begins the adventures of "The Geese of
Beaver Bog."
Bernd Heinrich, whose earlier books include
"Winter World," and "Ravens inWinter," makes readers see
the world afresh. The common place and the mundane become wondrous. Heinrich's
enthusiasm and joy in the natural world is infectious.
Peep returns to Heinrich's cabin two years later.
Through her, he meets the other Canada geese that inhabit Beaver Bog: Pop,
Jane, Harry and the Sedge pair. He tells them apart by the slight variations in
their white face patches. We're also introduced to other denizens of the pond:
red-wing black birds, grackles, cedar waxwings and the frogs that provide a
soundtrack to spring's arrival.
The book is an entrée to the private lives of
Canada geese. It has all the elements of a ? The incubation period of
eggs, which might not be expected to lend itself to drama, is filled with
suspense: Will the eggs survive? Will Peep know how to be a mother? Will Pop be
able to protect Peep and the goslings? Stay tuned.
Heinrich also makes a few discoveries about geese
that have yet to be explained. Within two days of hatching, the parents lead
the goslings on a two-mile trip to another pond. To reach the pond, they have
to walk through a half-mile of forest filled with predators, over a hill
through hayfields and across a road.
Heinrich also observed geese adopting additional
young into their brood when the biological parents took off with another group
of geese. He theorizes that the extra youngsters act as a predator shield by
providing more eyes to see danger.
Heinrich chose to conduct a field study of the
geese rather than an all-out scientific investigation. A scientific
investigation would have involved catching the geese, banding them, videotaping
the nests and spending a good deal of time begging for money to finance the
study "I lived and recorded it
willy-nilly as it occurred without expectation, and hopefully without bias, to
try to reveal patterns and isolate them from the imagined," he writes.
Heinrich also sees no problem in naming the geese
rather than assigning them numbers. Most scientists avoid the practice in order
to keep from attributing human characteristics to their subjects. Heinrich
doesn't believe science suffers from the bond between researcher and animal.
The danger for scientists is not the love of the animal, he writes, but the
love of a theory under investigation. By giving the geese names, he brings
their stories to life, they become members of the family, to be worried over
and cherished.
Shortly after reading "The Geese of Beaver
Bog," I had the pleasure of seeing several geese at a park in Greensboro.
I was delighted to notice the variations in their white face patches. As
Heinrich noted, they were all slightly different. I watched as one goose nodded
his head up and down and pointed across the parking lot to a pond. "I want
to go!" he was saying, just as Pop had encouraged Peep to leave Heinrich's
yard for the bog. A few seconds later, the geese were crossing the parking lot,
heading to the water.
Book Corner
By Brenda Hiles
“Ghosts of Tsavo – Stalking the Mystery Lions of
East Africa”
By Philip Caputo
National Geographic Society
275 pages
$27
It’s
difficult for most Americans to understand the fear of being stalked by an
animal that views us as food. The closest thing we can imagine, Philip Caputo
writes in Ghosts of Tsavo, is an invasion by space aliens.
“The word
man-eater is profoundly disturbing,” writes Caputo. “Instantly it dissolves
hundreds of thousands of years of human progress and carries us back to our
beginnings, when we were puny hominids, slouching across the African savanna
where man was born, huddling in fireless caves, waiting for death to rush at us
from the long grass. The thought of being devoured offends our sense of human
dignity, subverts our cherished belief that we are higher beings.”
Yet
we’re fascinated by stories of animals preying on humans. Witness the
popularity of “Jaws,” and the coverage that newspapers and 24-hour news
channels give to the latest shark attacks. It awakens in us a primitive fear,
the idea of “what if…”
Perhaps
that’s why after more than 100 years, the man-eating lions of Tsavo still
capture the imagination.
In
1898, two lions stopped the British Empire in its tracks in a region of eastern
Africa that would later become Kenya.
Hundreds
of Indian and African laborers had been brought in to build a railroad bridge
over the Tsavo River. Over several months two lions killed and ate about 135
workers, sneaking into camp and dragging the men from their tents. Even more
frightening was the lions’ ability to outwit the men hunting them. They eluded traps and other
ruses for nearly a year, until Col. James Patterson, the engineer on the bridge
project, managed to kill them.
The Ghost and the Darkness were the names given to
the animals by workers who came to see them as a supernatural force.
Author
Philip Caputo grew up hearing the legend of the man-eating lions of Tsavo. As a
child in Chicago, he frequently visited the Field Museum where the two cats
killed by Patterson were on exhibit. In 2000, Caputo went to Africa to
chronicle the adventures of four scientists trying to unravel the mystery of man-eating lions.
Caputo
is adept at explaining the various theories about the lions, never getting
bogged down in scientific jargon.
He
also takes us on side trips through the African wilderness. With heart-stopping
detail, Caputo describes what it feels like to be chased by an elephant that
can cover 12 feet in a single step. He captures the brutality and the beauty of
a remote corner of Africa: the poaching
of elephants for their ivory tusks, the sacred ibises pecking in the mud with
their long, curved beaks, rhinos submerging themselves in a lake to keep cool.
But readers looking for an answer to why some lions
seem to prefer human prey will be disappointed. Caputo has reached no
conclusion by the end of his travels. He lays out both sides of the argument
and leaves it to the reader to decide between science and myth.
WRNC
2542 Weymoth Rd
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
ADDRESS
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