We celebrated many "firsts" during 2001: our first baby otter, our first baby beaver, our first nestling great blue heron, our first merlin. Not all of the stories had a happy ending, but, putting the heartbreak aside, for sure it was a terrific learning experience, ever increasing our knowledge and expanding our horizons.

We had many successes, too. Some of the stories follow, including several anecdotes which could qualify for Ripley's Believe It or Not.

The Story of Mouse: We all know the toll that cats allowed to roam free take on birds, bunnies, mice and other wild creatures. Many of us also know how nearly impossible it is not to have a cat bite get infected, no matter how quickly the wound is treated. Each year we receive 50 to 100 small animals who have suffered a cat attack and, because of deep infections, the majority do not survive. Early June of this year, a woman pulled into our driveway, jumped out other car and immediately started to apologize for bothering us with "this insignificant creature". She ranted a bit about how stupid she felt, but her daughter insisted they come to Wildlife Rescue. Sitting in the car was a young girl, clutching a small box and crying. (We had done a program for her Brownie Troop just five days earlier.) Her cat had caught a little mouse, wounded it badly and this dear little girl wanted us to "save" it. I explained to her that she was right in wanting to bring the mouse for help because this little mouse was just as important as any other animal. I also told her that the injuries were severe and the mouse's chances of surviving were slim, but we would try. (Please note that at the height of "baby season" when we are overflowing with squirrels, bunnies, birds, fawns, etc., the very last thing needed is a cat-wounded mouse!) By a Hand greater than mine and to my own personal astonishment, this tiny mouse healed. After two weeks, I called the mother and she brought her daughter to personally release the mouse back into the wild. The look of sheer pride and pleasure on her face as the mouse ran off brought me to tears. . . not only for the joy of the mouse surviving impossible odds, but more importantly in knowing here was one child who learned that every living creature, be it mouse or fawn or eagle, has its own importance in the grand scheme of things and every life holds its own special value and purpose.

A Guardian Angel at work? On October 10th (2001), we received a call from the East Lake Campgrounds in New Milford to rescue an injured hawk. Mr. Tom Seidel had left Vermont early that morning in his motor home and headed south for the winter, destination Florida. A few miles south of Albany, a red tailed hawk who had been munching on a road killed deer along Rte. 88 suddenly flew off the carcass and directly into Mr. Seidel's path. The bird was struck hard, mid-windshield, at 65 mph. Mr. Seidel was shaken by the incident and certain the bird bad been killed. Upon arrival at the campground (some three hours and 170 miles later), someone noticed feet sticking up toward the rear end of the roof of his motorhome. Climbing the ladder to view the situation, Mr. Seidel realized that the bird had traveled over the roof and landed just behind a raised air-conditioning unit where it made the rest of the journey. Still convinced the bird must be dead, he poked at it gently and amazingly the bird, although very dazed, rolled to his feet We arrived about an hour later and attempted to retrieve the hawk. Apparently, the hawk had just enough time to regain his composure and as I reached for him, he flew to a tree line 300' away. Unable to believe this bird was not injured, I approached the tree line and as I stepped close, he flew off across an open field to a distant tree, apparently none the worse for his near death experience.

You Might be a Wildlife Rehabilitator if....

1. You don’t think it’s strange to have dead animals in your freezer at home.
2. You have more than 5 heating pads in your linen closet.
3. Your neighbor calls and asks that you get YOUR raccoon out of their tree.
4. You’re at the mall and all you catch are the words “the Animal Lady”.
5. You are excited by a gift certificate for mealworms.
6. You stop every fifteen minutes while grocery shopping to feed the nestlings in your handbag.
7. You are known as the local “vet” for everything that was once known as “almost roadkill”.
8. You have a different mental picture than anyone else when you hear the words “Some loon is in my parking space”.
9. Your closest friends understand how pleased you are when they bring you a fresh roadkill.
10. You wait until your house is 80% engulfed in flames before calling the fire department because you don’t want anyone to see how you really live!

A Very Special Commitment: There is much controversy concerning whether or not animals experience human-like emotions such as grief or loss. Consider this story and then decide. In late Fall 1999, a female red fox was hit and killed on Rte. 29 just north of Montrose. Her mate refused to leave her side, sitting in the road next to her body. Some unfeeling person came down that road and hit the male fox. He suffered a badly broken hind leg but still wouldn’t leave his mate. He sat on the side of the road and with every break in traffic would drag himself back to her. Thankfully, a jogger finally discovered him and called Wildlife Rescue. The jogger stayed with the fox, waiting on the side of the road to protect the fox until we arrived Fortunately, the ending of the story is a happy one. The fox’s leg was pinned and healed nicely. He was released in the Spring.

The Resilient Turkey Vulture: In September (2000), a gentleman who prefers not to have his name used -we’ll call him Joe, was driving home from work in the Nicholson area when a turkey vulture flew across the road. The bird was struck by the upper part of the windshield of the truck traveling approximately 55 miles per hour. Joe looked in his rear view mirror and did not see the bird, assuming it had been propelled into a field. He continued another six miles home and upon exiting his truck was shocked to see the body of the vulture in the bed of his truck. Knowing the scent of the vulture would drive his dogs crazy, Joe picked up the limp body of the bird and placed it inside a grill on his deck, closing the lid. The dogs romped outside for about half an hour before going back indoors. Joe knew he had to dispose of the bird and returned to his deck. Can you imagine his surprise when he lifted the lid of that grill to find the vulture sitting up and hissing at him? We retrieved the vulture, who amazingly suffered only a severe concussion. After a month of rest and care, this lucky vulture is back in the wild doing what he was created to do - helping to keep our environment clean of other carcasses. Another lesson learned: If you do strike an animal with your vehicle, please take the time to stop and check the condition of that animal. If it is still alive, please do what is necessary to minimize the suffering of that animal. Remember that Wildlife Rescue is available 24 hour per day.

Profile: Our Hero for Today: There is a continuing controversy between deer hunters and those opposed to hunting. The animal rights folks argue that most hunters are unfeeling towards the suffering of the animals, especially those hunters who wound and don’t track the animal, causing the deer to die a horrific, painful death. To most deer hunters, however, the aforementioned type of hunter is the exception rather than the rule. Most avid hunters consider opening day of deer season almost as a “holy day of obligation”. In other words, nothing can possibly supersede being in that tree stand on the first day of buck season. And that is exactly where Shawn Ostrowsky of Tunkhannock and his son were on opening day this year. Shortly after daybreak, Shawn noticed an injured red tailed hawk on the ground near his tree stand. Compelled to do the right thing, Shawn gave up his dream of a trophy buck for that day and rescued the bird. As he headed out of the woods, just 100 yards from where the first red tail was found, he encountered another one, also with a wounded wing. He picked up the second hawk and headed home where he called Wildlife Rescue. Both hawks had been shot. One suffered a badly fractured wrist and needed to be euthanized. The second had a repairable broken wing bone and is hopefully healing well. He should be released in about six weeks. While it is admirable that Shawn has so great a respect for the creatures of the woods and possibly gave up a chance for that once in a lifetime buck to help those hawks, what he taught his son that day is what he deserves to be honored for most. Bless you, Shawn. You are obviously a wonderful father and a very special human being!

Carol Shilling
Director