NEWSLETTER FOR WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS OF NORTH
CAROLINA
Volume 21 September 2005
| A quarterly newsletter produced by the Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina (WRNC). WRNC's mission is to share information and knowledge about wildlife rehabilitation for the benefit of native wildlife. For comments or questions, write to: WRNC, 2542 Weymoth Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. |
Editors Sally Davis and Brenda Hiles
|
WRNC's 4th Annual Symposium 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. 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. |
WRNC's Beginner Classes
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 | ocracokebirdworld@earthlink.net |
| Jacksonville | Nov. 5-6 | Hammocks Beach State Park | oneil9734@yahoo.com |
| Fayetteville | tbd | tbd | jchamberlain1@alltel.net |
|
Disclaimer
The opinions, techniques, and recommendations expressed in the articles of this newsletter are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by WRNC. |
http://www.iwrc-online.org/training/training.cfm
| Date |
Course
|
Location |
| Oct 08, 2005 - Oct 09, 2005 | 1AB: Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation | Kingston, RI |
| Nov 08, 2005 - Nov 09, 2005 | 1AB: Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation | Toronto, ON Canada |
| Nov
08, 2005 |
4BB: Initial Wildlife Care |
Toronto, ON Canada |
| Nov
09, 2005 |
3BB: Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition | Toronto, ON Canada |
|
|
| News from North Carolina ____________________________________________________________ |  |
NC Permit Policy Clarified
By Jean Chamberlain
jchamberlain1@alltel.net
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.
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 the 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.
Basics for Beginners - Soft Releasing Squirrels
By Jean Chamberlain 
jchamberlain1@alltel.net
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; the 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. With 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 using for some time prior to the release. It must have a nest box
that they think of as their own. Success depends on the squirrels returning
to it each evening until they have found another safe place to spend the night.
|
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
Dangers lurking at the bird feeder
By Elizabeth Hanrahan
ocracokebirdworld@earthlink.net
The growth in birding has manifested itself in many ways. Bird-watching is
said to be the
An estimated one-third of American households maintains bird feeders or feed
backyard birds.
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 resolve with time 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 and vegetative matter on the ground under bird
feeders. Birds inhale the fungal spores 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 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, disinfect by spraying the solution and leaving
it on for 10 minutes, then allow the feeders to dry before refilling.
Socks 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 include
the desired quantity so that we may order sufficient supplies. 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.
· 5½"rounded point metal tweezers for bird feeding at $1.20
each
· 7½" 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
|
CALL FOR SPEAKERS
WRNC 4th Annual Symposium Jan. 28 - 29, 2006 |
 |
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.
TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS
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.
PRESENTATION PROPOSAL
Please submit one form for each presentation that you would like to propose:
http://ncwildliferehab.org/presentation_proposal.html
 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!
Once 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 to others to purchase. We anticipate
having all the titles listed.. 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 view the list of books and to reserve them click here.
| Board member contact list (email)
Bergman, Linda (President) lbergman@ec.rr.com |
|
10% Discount at the Squirrel
Store WRNC members can receive either a 10%
discount or free shipping on their first order from Squirrel Store,
which now carries rehab supplies (formulas, feeds, etc.) at competitive
prices, in addition to other wildlife related items. Orders can be placed
via their website (www.SquirrelStore.com)
or by calling Misty at 1-866-907-7757. |
| Newsletter Is ELECTRONIC This will be the second issue of our newsletter available online. To save trees we would like to move as many folks as possible to an electronic subscription. This will also free club money up for other membership activities too. To start your electronic subscription click here. |
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.
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 (Loperamide) 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 (eructation (burping) of gas and mixing of rumen contents)
possibly resulting in 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, Salmonella, Parvovirus, or food poisoning) or liver problems. These
signs indicate that an infectious diarrhea may be present. The anti-motility
action of the drug 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 its use in mammals.
If you have any questions you would like WRNC to answer in future newsletters,
submit them to
Beth Knapp-Tyner at WildatHeartRehab@aol.com
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 of Carolina Day School and a 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 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.
It soon became apparent there was a need for a rehabilitation facility in
Asheville/Buncombe
County. Wild for Life rehabilitates about 250 animals a year. But it must
turn away as many as it rehabilitates. 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. Money 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 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 gift shop.
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. Money 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 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 gift shop.
'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 |
|
From
the editor's desk
Sally Davis is excited to announce the formal addition of Brenda Hiles to the newsletter editorial staff as Editor. Brenda and Sally will work as co-editors on your newsletter for the time being. Brenda has a background in journalism and has been assisting with the past couple of newsletters already. This
newsletter is your tool for reaching everyone else in WRNC. Please feel
free to submit comments, corrections, announcements and submissions
for future newsletters to Sally Davis at wekaterrapin@hotmail.com or
by phone at (919) 462-3249. |
|
That
gorgeous opossum cage
Any
one interested in the 24 x 24 wire cage that was given away at the WRNC
Symposium raffle? |
| Book Corner By Brenda Hiles "Ghosts of Tsavo - Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa" By Philip Caputo National Geographic Society 275 pages $27 |
 |
Is 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.
|
Directory Updates
Have you moved? Has you email address changed? Is your
phone number listed incorrectly in the directory? |