Wildlife center of Va

[Donna]

King George Bald Eagle: Pox Case?

PATIENT:  Bald Eagle, #10-2220

LOCATION OF RESCUE:  King George County, Virginia

CAUSE OF ADMISSION:   Avian pox?

ADMISSION DATE:  November 21, 2010

PROGNOSIS:  Guarded

On November 20 Joyce Hall, a resident of King George County, spotted a large juvenile Bald Eagle, on the ground and unable to fly, on her driveway.    The eagle was captured and taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitator Diana O’Connor, who stabilized and housed the bird overnight.    On November 21 Ms. Hall drove the eagle to the Wildlife Center.

IMG_1261On admission, the eagle — the 21st Bald Eagle admitted for treatment thus far in 2010 — was assigned Patient # 10-2220.  The bird, a very large juvenile and likely a female, was thin and has lesions around its eyes, beak, and feet — lesions consistent with Avian Pox.  [Additional background information on Avian Pox].  Radiographs were taken and the vets found no fractures; the bird is otherwise bright and feisty.

The Bald Eagle is currently being housed in the Center’s isolation ward, in a special unit purchased through the financial support of  fans of Buddy, the Norfolk Botanical Garden Bald Eagle admitted in 2008 with Avian Pox.   pox feet

There is no “cureâ€� for Avian Pox — treatment generally involves providing supportive care until the patient’s immune system can respond to the infection.  Eagle #10-2220 is receiving vitamin supplements, an anti-lice medication, and antibiotics [to minimize secondary infections].  The lesions on its feet have been scrubbed and treated with a topical antibiotic cream. 

Another sad case. Hope she heals.

[Donna]

November 2 update

On November 1st, the WCV veterinary team checked on Great-horned Owl #10-2051’s carpal wounds during outdoor rounds.  The wounds on both wings are healing well, and while the vets will continue to monitor the wounds and apply A&D ointment, they will now do this procedure every three days.  While the owl has been flying back and forth in his flight pen on his own, he will begin his official exercise program today.  This means that the rehabilitation staff will be making this bird fly back and forth several times while monitoring his progress.  Over the next couple of weeks, the goal will be to have the owl fly more and more “lapsâ€� in the flight pen while increasing his endurance.
November 9 update

The owl continues to make great progress and has now passed “mouse schoolâ€� — demonstrating that it is able to hunt successfully.  Center veterinarians have now cleared this Great Horned Owl for release.  Outreach Director Amanda Nicholson is now working to pin down a release site close to the place where this owl was originally rescued.  A November 2010 release is likely — possibly as early as the week of November 15.
November 19 update

On Monday November 15, both staff wildlife rehabilitators noticed that the Great Horned Owl was flying loudly, and with more effort.   Since Great Horned Owls need to fly entirely silently to able to hunt their prey (which this owl was doing beautifully last week), this is a cause for concern.  It appears as though the bird broke several of its tail feathers over the course of the weekend, which could cause it to fly with additional effort.  Further examination is needed to determine if anything else is affecting the owl before release is considered; radigraphs are scheduled for Monday, November 22.
November 22 update

On Monday, November 22, Dr. Miranda examined the Great Horned Owl to determine whether any additional problems were inhibiting the owl’s smooth and silent flight.  During the course of the physical examination, she found that the owl’s right carpus was swollen.  Radiographs confirmed a soft tissue swelling around the bird’s “wristâ€�, but fortunately did not show any changes to the bones.  The bird has been started on a one week course of anti-inflammatories to see if any improvement is made and exercise has been temporarily discontinued.  The owl will be reassessed on November 29. 

[MAK]

    Thanks for the update Donna!

[Donna]

Ferdinand: 2008-2010

Ferdinand (Virginia Opossum)
September 2008–November 21, 2010

FerdinandThe Wildlife Center is sad to announce that Ferdinand, a Virginia Opossum and a key member of the Center’s team of environmental education  ambassadors,  passed away last week.

Ferdinand came to the Wildlife Center in September of 2008 after he was rescued from the side of the road in Blacksburg, Virginia.  At the time, he was only a few months old, and he then lived with his rescuers for about a month before coming to the Wildlife Center.  He had originally suffered a broken right leg, which left the leg shortened; he was also too tame to be released back into the wild. 

 Ferdinand appeared at his first education program at the end of October 2008.  Since then he participated in 171 environmental education programs and met more than 19,000 people.  His final appearance, a “Home, Sweet Habitatâ€� program, was on the November 3, 2010 at Central Elementary in Palmyra, Virginia.

Ferdinand was always very active and curious, and usually wasn’t content to just sit in his handler’s arms during programs.  This active and engaging behavior easiFerdinand rubbingly charmed his audiences, riveting their attention.  His high energy was evident in his enclosure as well, and groups visiting the Center often enjoyed watching him climb on his specially built feeding platform.  Ferdinand would often “clickâ€� at his handlers and caretakers; this clicking sound is used in the wild to communicate with other opossums, whether to attract a mate or keep track of young.  He would also mark his territory by licking and rubbing his cheek on objects he considered his — a climbing log, a food dish, or his handler’s gloves.

 Ferdinand and his ability to charm children and adults alike will be sadly missed.

Ferdinand

[Donna]

December 3 update from Dr. Miranda

The Peregrine Falcon was taken to Virginia Tech yesterday to see Dr. Phil Pickett and the news was encouraging.  Her left eye is stable (the one that just had a couple of scars present, which are old and stable).  The right eye is healing well and the area of reattachment is shrinking (just like a scar on your hand would as it heals).  Her foveas (the areas of focus) are present in both eyes and are intact and free of injury. Dr. Pickett is optimistic about this and sees nothing about her eyes that would impair her release. Dec 2 optho visit

Of course, we’re not completely out of the woods yet.  We still need to exercise the peregrine to test her flight and ensure that she can make a complete recovery from her shoulder injury.  Within the next couple of weeks we will creance her–which is taking her into a field on a fishing line and flying her–to give her the best exercise possible.  This will also allow us to make a thorough assessment of her flight to determine if she is releasable.     

Sounds like good news for this girl!

   

[MAK]

   Awww, look at her cute little tongue!   

[Carol P.]

This is great news!  Thanks for sharing Donna.   

[jeanne]

Yes! Yes!  Yes!!!!

[falconsforever129]

I am thrilled about this!  She is so adorable  ..she looks like she is smiling in that picture! She knows she is being taken care of and is among friends.

 

 

[falconsforever129]

  Awww, look at her cute little tongue!   

That little tongue is so cute! 

[Bird Crazy]

I am happy for the pf but sad for little Ferdinand.

[falconsforever129]

I am happy for the pf but sad for little Ferdinand.

So am I and also that sick little eagle :-(

[Donna]

December 14 update 

On December 9, the Peregrine Falcon was brought into the clinic for follow-up radiographs.  Dr. Miranda reported that the bird’s right coracoid continues to heal well.

For the past week, the rehabilitation staff has been exercising the peregrine daily.  The bird has been showing great progress in increasing stamina and in her ability to maneuver around obstacles.  The Peregrine Falcon has been showing so much progress that the veterinary team began looking for other ways to condition her and evaluate her flight.   

Dr. Dave McRuer contacted local falconers to see if they would be interested in training the peregrine using falconry techniques. The Wildlife Center is hoping this training strategy will better condition the bird through intense exercise and test the bird’s eye sight and wings as it attempts to capture artificial lures while in flight.

On Monday, December 13, the Peregrine Falcon was transferred to two experienced local falconers – Eva and Andrew King.  At first, the falconers will work with the peregrine indoors with food to establish trust and safety.  They will feed her only during these training sessions while the bird wears jesses and a leash.  At first the distance between bird and falconer will be small; over the course of days to weeks the distance will be increased so that the bird has to fly to the falconer to get food.

Once trust is established and the Peregrine Falcon is successfully flying to each falconer to eat, the training session will be moved outdoors, with the peregrine still on a leash.  Ultimately, the goal is to unleash the falcon so that it can fly freely in the field while still returning to the falconers for food.  While there is always the risk that the peregrine will fly away during these “off-leashâ€� times, the bird’s motivation for food and the known safety associated with the glove will likely bring the bird back to the glove.  This technique has been used by falconers with birds of prey for centuries.

When the bird is routinely flying and  returning to the glove, Eva and Andrew will attach food to a lure; the lure will be moved through the air so that the bird can wheel and dive to catch its food.  This free-flight outdoors will improve the bird’s stamina, build muscle and test the healed shoulder  through repeated stoops, tight turns and lengthy flights — key elements of a peregrine’s survival skills.   

If the Peregrine Falcon passes these  “testsâ€�, she will be ready for release back into the wild.  Falconers routinely train and keep birds of prey for a short time and then return them to the wild, without “imprintingâ€� or other behavioral modification.  The Center believes that this approach provides the best opportunity to build up the falcon’s stamina and to ensure that she will be able to survive, and thrive, in the wild.

Wildlife Center staff is very excited to explore this new relationship with Eva and Andrew.  This process will likely take weeks to months.  Stay tuned for more updates on how this Peregrine Falcon is progressing.

The Wildlife Center depends on the donations of caring individuals for the health care provided to this Peregrine Falcon – and to about 2,500 wild animals in need each year.  Please help!
About Peregrine Falcons

The Peregrine Falcon is a native species to Virginia, once nesting in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains.  By the early 1960s, the falcon was believed to be extinct as a breeding species in Virginia and all areas east of the Mississippi River — a decline linked to the widespread use of DDT and other chemicals.  A program of peregrine reintroduction began in Virginia in 1978.  There are now about 20 known breeding paris of peregrines in Virginia.

The name “peregrineâ€� derives from the Latin word for “wandererâ€�.  Some falcons that nest in the tundra of northern Canada winter in South America and travel more than 15,000 miles in a single year.  “Island Girl“, a Peregrine Falcon currently being tracked by the Falcon Research Group, left her nesting range on Baffin Island on September 21 and on November 5 was in northern Chile — nearing the end of her migration.   

[MAK]

   Fingers crossed for this girl!   

[falconsforever129]

I "second that" MAK !!!  I want to see her fly free again