AWARE`S Tails from the Wild

AWARE’S
Tails from the Wild
A Lasting Gift
As most of you know, Michael
Ellis, AWARE‘S founder and director,
passed away in February after a battle
with cancer. He is greatly missed by his
AWARE family, but his legacy as a
wildlife rehabilitator and advocate carries on. His work has saved thousands of
wild animals, not only through rescue
and rehabilitation, but also through his
efforts to educate people about how to
coexist with wildlife. Thousands more
animals have been saved and will continue to be saved by volunteers trained
by Michael who have gone on to become
licensed rehabilitators, veterinary professionals, or simply citizens more
mindful of our
connection to all
wildlife. His life
was a gift to
wildlife and to
the environment,
as well as to
the many people
whose lives he
touched.
Everyone who worked with Michael
knows that he had a tremendous amount
of expertise in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation and a natural gift for working
with animals. But underneath his sometimes gruff exterior, he had a gift with
people, too. The tireless hours and dedication he gave to AWARE inspired
those around him. Day or night, he was
always ready to help an animal in need
or to answer calls from people with
wildlife concerns. Though he often received more than 50 phone calls a day,
he attended to each of them with courtesy and professionalism, never letting
even the most demanding or rude callers rattle his composure. And, no matter how long or stressful the day, Michael never forgot to thank volunteers
when they finished their shift. In addition, Michael was an excellent teacher
who enjoyed sharing his knowledge
with others. He was fun to be around
and had a great sense of humor, too.
Not surprisingly, Michael‘s final
wish was to rest in a place with abundant wildlife and natural beauty. His
(continued on next page)
Fall 2011
Features
Introducing AWARE‘s
New Executive Director,
Dr. Tarah Hadley
p. 2
Yes, Deer!
p. 3
In Each Issue
Spotlight on Georgia‘s
Wildlife
p. 4
Meet the Ambassador
p. 4
Rehab 911!
p. 4
AWARE‘s Mission,
Hours, Upcoming Events,
Wish List & More
p. 5
Senior Writer and Editor:
Melanie E. Furr, [email protected]
The Eagle Has Landed
Earlier this year, AWARE had the
opportunity and privilege to rehabilitate
a bald eagle. Found scavenging at a
landfill, the eagle had an injury to its
right wing, and its feet were caked with
garbage. Unfortunately, by the time the
eagle got to us, its broken bones had
already set, leaving the eagle with a
permanent wing droop and limited
flight abilities. AWARE deemed him
non-releasable and started to look for a
permanent home for him as an education animal.
Through U.S.
Fish and Wildlife,
director
Michael
Ellis
found a home for
the eagle with
the Comanche Nation in Oklahoma.
They have a program called Sia that
raises awareness of the importance of
(continued on page 3)
www.AWAREone.org
Tails from the Wild
Fall 2011
Page 2
Introducing AWARE’s New Executive Director: Dr. Tarah Hadley
AWARE is thrilled to introduce boardcertified avian specialist Dr. Tarah Hadley as
AWARE‘s new Executive Director. Dr. Tarah, as she is known to her clients and colleagues, is a nationally recognized speaker
and author of several publications in the field
of avian and exotic animal medicine. She is
also the owner of the Atlanta Hospital for
Birds and Exotics. ―With her intensive veterinary training and business experience, Dr.
Tarah is uniquely positioned to lead
AWARE‘s continued growth and establish it
as a premier wildlife center for the area,‖ said
AWARE Board President, Alex Hoffman.
Dr. Tarah believes that AWARE‘s location amid the natural
setting of Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, combined with an
excellent staff and dedicated volunteers, will make AWARE a
great travel destination for the community and beyond. She
states, ―I believe we have a great opportunity to serve our wildlife patients and give our visitors an awesome educational experience.‖
Dr. Tarah is no stranger to AWARE. She met Michael
Ellis shortly after he opened the center in 2005, and she has
generously donated her time and veterinary expertise to
AWARE ever since. According to wildlife care supervisor
Marjan Ghadrdan, ―Dr. Tarah is a wonderful asset to AWARE.
She has greatly increased the level of animal care we can
provide.‖ Volunteer and recent Acting Director
Linda Potter adds, ―With her veterinary skills,
AWARE can save animals with procedures that
were previously unavailable to us. There is no
doubt that AWARE will be able to help more
animals and educate more people under her leadership.‖ In addition to being a great resource for
the AWARE caregivers, her cheerful, easygoing
manner and wry sense of humor are fun to be
around.
Dr. Tarah originally hails from Boston. She
received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and her Doctorate in Veterinary
Medicine from Tufts University. In spite of her
broad range of experience working with animals, becoming
familiar with some of AWARE‘s patients has been a new
experience for Dr. Tarah. ―The animals are so unique and
each have their own personalities. I believe most of the animals know that we‘re trying to help them — but that doesn‘t
stop many of them from trying to escape anyway!‖
As a business owner, wife, and mother of five, ranging in
ages from 9 to 17, Dr. Tarah stays extremely busy; however,
in her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, photography
and spending time with her pets (two parrots, two chinchillas,
and two cats). AWARE is thrilled that Dr. Tarah has found
room in her busy life to join our team and lead AWARE in
exciting new directions.
A Lasting Gift
(continued from page one)
own words, shared with his close friend Henry Finkbeiner,
reveal this wish, along with Michael‘s sense of humor:
―I wonder if you would consider taking my ashes to Yellowstone and finding a place where you feel close to the wonders of nature and scatter them so that they become part of the
unabused body of the plant. If anyone wants to join you that‘s
great, but if they don‘t want to that‘s OK too. If anyone who is
glad I‘m gone wants to go and celebrate my journey that‘s OK
too. Just make it a celebration, whether of my life or of my
leaving or both.‖
In order to carry out Michael‘s wishes, Henry generously
offered the volunteers at AWARE a place to stay at his beautiful lodge in Silver Gate, Montana, at the northeastern edge of
Yellowstone. In July, Henry, his wife Lou, and a small group
of AWARE volunteers honored Michael‘s wish while hiking
together along the canyon of the Yellowstone River. At a secret
place once used by Native Americans, Henry placed a small
stone carving in honor of
Michael. This stone matches
the one marking the place
where Michael‘s ashes are
buried at AWARE. The
sound of the rushing water,
the gentle breeze, the surrounding beauty, and the signs of wildlife all around seemed like
a tribute to Michael, as well as a gift from him.
If you‘re ever hiking in Yellowstone, you might be lucky
enough to stumble upon this place. If you do, remember you are
experiencing a gift from Michael.
Like babies? Become an animal care volunteer. Call AWARE for more information.
Tails from the Wild
Fall 2011
Page 3
The Eagle Has Landed
(continued from page one)
eagles to Native American culture and also provides a sanctuary for non-releasable eagles (comancheeagle.org). Once
Michael passed away, fellow rehabilitators Liz Nicholas,
Linda Potter, and Stephanie Philippo stepped in to make sure
that all the necessary paperwork was filed with the appropriate state and federal agencies. They also started making transportation arrangements for the eagle—no small task.
After several failed attempts to
find appropriate transport, Liz contacted Angel Flight, an organization
that provides free air transportation for people with both medical
and
financial
needs
(angelflightsoars.org). Angel Flight
put AWARE in contact with Lyle
Prouse, one of its volunteer pilots
who is also part Comanche. Lyle
agreed to fly the eagle to Oklahoma in his Piper Warrior single-
engine aircraft at his own expense. He said he felt honored not
only to help the eagle, but also to do something for his fellow Comanche. Stephanie then made arrangements to safely
transport and load the eagle onto the plane and see him off.
After 10 hours and two stops to refuel, Lyle and the bird arrived
safely in Oklahoma.
Those of us at AWARE who had the privilege of caring for
the eagle developed a real affection and respect for this regal
bird, and his hoarse, squeaky cackle is missed around the center. Though he certainly missed being in the wild, he was never
aggressive with his handlers or caregivers, even though his
huge, razor-sharp talons could have easily inflicted serious injury. In Stephanie‘s words, he was a ―cool customer…a very
laid-back bird, almost like he knew we were trying to help
him.‖
Caring for the eagle was a unique and exciting experience.
We hope he is thriving in his new home!
To hear what an eagle sounds like and learn more about our
national bird, visit: ENature Field Guides/Bald Eagle
DID YOU KNOW?
The average cost to rehabilitate and release a small animal back into the wild is $50.
A large animal like an eagle or a deer costs much more.
Yes, Deer!
On July 21st, AWARE received a patient that stole the
hearts of our volunteer—a small white-tailed fawn that had
been hit by a car. Though he was only with us briefly, he
will be remembered for a long time.
Initially, the fawn‘s primary injury was a broken jaw,
which made it difficult for him to eat. AWARE‘s volunteers
patiently hand fed him for
several days, though he was
such a sweet patient that no
one minded too much. His
left elbow soon became swollen with an infection, requiring Dr. Tarah to perform surgery on it. Volunteers flushed
the elbow twice a day and
gave him shots to fight the
infection. In spite of all the stress and discomfort the sweet
fawn must have endured since his accident, he was amazingly tame and cooperative during his exams, and his infection slowly improved.
Although the fawn was still not putting weight on his left
leg, he soon needed to be moved to more appropriate deer
facilities where he could spend more time outdoors
(AWARE does not have any outdoor deer enclosures). Arrangements were made to transfer the fawn to the home of
Debbie Pissott, a rehabilitator in North Georgia who specializes
in deer.
On August 16th, AWARE volunteer Linda Potter and her husband Gordon drove the fawn to his new home at Debbie‘s,
house where he is now living with seven other fawns. He will
spend the winter there,
giving him time to grow
stronger and more independent before he is released back into the wild
next spring.
Our thanks to Debbie
Pissott for taking good
care of him until spring!
Fawn Facts
Female white-tailed deer give birth to 1–3 spotted fawns in late
spring, usually May or June. For the first four weeks, fawns
mostly lie still, hiding in vegetation while their mothers forage,
sometimes for hours. They are then able to join their mothers on
foraging trips and are weaned after 8–10 weeks. They lose their
spots, necessary for camouflage from predators, toward the end
of their first summer. Males leave their mothers after a year and
females leave after two.
Tails from the Wild
Fall 2011
Page 4
Spotlight on Georgia’s Wildlife
The Virginia Opossum
Remembering Oliver Twist
AWARE typically receives more than 250 opossums for rehabilitation each year, many of them still babies. Many of
these babies come to us when the mother is hit by a car or attacked by a dog.
AWARE recently lost a dear member of
our family, Oliver Twist, our ambassador
opossum. “Ollie‖ came to AWARE in October 2010 after being found with a broken leg
in a trash can outside a retirement home. He was also emaciated and blind, and he had a blood infection that caused him
to need part of his tail amputated. He received his name because of the funny way he ―twisted‖ his head, a tic resulting
from some neurological problems he had. Although Ollie was
clumsy and slept most of the day, he had the sweetest disposition and liked everyone he met! We miss you, Ollie!
The Virginia opossum (commonly
known just as the opossum) has the
distinction of being North America’s
only marsupial, an animal that carries
its young in a pouch, like kangaroos
and koala bears.
New born opossums are tiny. A typical litter of 8 to 9 young
can fit in a teaspoon. They climb into the mother‘s pouch when
they are born and stay there up to three months. Around four
months of age, they‘re on their own, leading mostly solitary
lives. Their average life span is only 1-2 years in the wild.
Opossums are exceptionally non-aggressive and shy. In the
presence of a threat, they will flee if possible. In addition to
being nocturnal, they don‘t burrow, dig, or destroy property, so
most people never even realize that an opossum has been in their
yard.
Opossums have several interesting defense mechanisms.
First, they will hiss and bare their teeth. They may then wobble
and drool excessively, making potential predators think they are
sick (and therefore, unappetizing). If these defenses fail, they
will ―play ‗possum,‖ slipping into an involuntary, fear-induced
comatose state, which discourages animals that eat live prey.
Opossums are one of the least likely mammals in North
America to carry rabies. In fact, rabies in opossums is so rare
that a horse is more likely to carry the disease!
Opossums help maintain a clean
and healthy environment. Their
diet consists of insects, snails, and
slugs, keeping our gardens free of
pests. They catch and eat mice and
rats, keeping rodent populations in
check. They also eat rotting fruit
and carrion, sanitizing the environment.
Opossums are immune to the venom of poisonous snakes
and will feed on snakes such as copperheads.
If you find an injured or orphaned opossum, call AWARE
or visit our website for a list of rehabilitators in your area.
We can also help you find ways to humanely deter opossums
from your property, though we don‘t see why you‘d want to!
Rehab 911!
AWARE rehabilitators provide answers to
common calls about wildlife
Help! I see a coyote or a fox in my backyard!
Don‘t panic! Habitat destruction has forced coyotes and
foxes to become urban dwellers, so they inevitably make an
appearance even in the most urban communities from time to
time. However, when people understand their normal behavior and do their part to keep them at a safe distance, they have
nothing to fear.
Coyotes and foxes have an
instinctive fear of humans and typically won‘t come within 30 feet of a
person. Seeing a fox or coyote in
the daytime isn‘t unusual, especially in spring and summer when
they have young to feed. Fox and
coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare; they normally flee from people and only attack if
they are cornered or perceive a threat to their young.
Foxes and coyotes rarely pose a threat to pets. They
would rather befriend your dog and share his food than pick a
fight. They occasionally take a free-roaming cat, but more
often free-roaming cats become victims of cars, dogs, other
cats, and exposure to diseases and parasites. Keep pets safe
by providing supervision or suitable enclosures and shelter.
To minimize the chance of conflicts with coyotes and
foxes, don‘t feed them (deliberately or inadvertently) by leaving pet food outside or trash cans uncovered. Close off crawl
spaces to discourage them from using these spaces as dens,
and cut back brush areas, which attract prey and provide cover
for predators. If you see a fox or coyote on your property,
wave your arms, shout at it, throw a stone or tennis ball, squirt
it with a hose. Most likely it will run away. If you see an
animal that appears sick or is acting oddly or aggressively,
call AWARE or your local animal control service. Visit
www.awareone.org for more information.
Tails from the Wild
Fall 2011
Page 5
Atlanta‘s Premier Wildlife Rescue and Education Destination
4158 Klondike Road, Lithonia, GA 30038
(678) 418-1111
www.awareone.org
Tours given on Saturdays and Sundays
1 pm and 3 pm
Donations gladly accepted
——————————————
Book an educational program and meet
our ambassador animals up close!
AWARE‘s Wish List
Pressure washer
Towels and linens (no holes or loose threads)
Post-it notes
Fine-tipped Sharpie markers
Pecan halves or miscellaneous whole nuts
Unscented HE laundry detergent and bleach
Purina Dog Chow Complete
Friskies Grillers Blend Cat Chow
Friskies Classic Pate Canned Cat Food
AWARE is a volunteer-based organization working
to preserve and restore wildlife and its habitat through
education and wildlife rehabilitation. We believe that
peaceful coexistence of humans and wildlife is essential
for our mutual survival.
AWARE rescues and rehabilitates about 1,500 wild
animals each year and returns most of them to the wild.
In addition, our licensed rehabilitators answer approximately 10,000 phone calls each year from people with
wildlife concerns, providing AWARE with opportunities
to help people better understand, appreciate, and coexist
with wildlife. Our educational outreach programs, which
feature our non-releasable ambassador animals, include
school programs, festivals, fairs, nature centers, community events, scout meetings, and anywhere there is an audience interested in wildlife. Our non-releasable ambassador animals (a bobcat, three owls, a hawk, a snake, an
opossum and a crow) provide a face to our lessons on
how to peacefully coexist with wild animals.
AWARE is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that
relies on private contributions of time and money and
receives no government assistance.
Your donations make our work possible.
Visit AWARE’s exhibit at these exciting events this fall:
October 15 & 16 (Saturday and Sunday) – Candler Park Fall Festival
November 4–6 (Friday–Sunday) – Stone Mountain Pow Wow
We can always use a few good hands! Please come out to AWARE on Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm to help with
improvements around the center and grounds. Email [email protected] for details.