Summer 2013 Newsletter - Mercer County Park Commission

Transcription

Summer 2013
A Publication of the Mercer County Wildlife Center
Volume 12 Issue 1
A RACCOON INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
BY JANE RAKOS-YATES AND NICOLE GOLDEN
This is the story about a crafty raccoon that was admitted to the Wildlife Center with major injuries, who then
escaped from his recovery cage and hid in the ceiling for
over a week. He outsmarted all of the staff and an animal control officer before getting recaptured.
It was May 28, 2012, when the adult raccoon arrived at
the Wildlife Center. May is the beginning of our busy
season. Staff is hectically running around training new
volunteers and interns, admitting and treating the ever
increasing patient volume, and educating the public
through the 100 or so daily telephone inquiries. The raccoon was brought in by Belinda Ogitis, Hopewell Township Animal Control Officer, because he was lying on his
side in the middle of a lawn, very lethargic and weak.
His tail had been recently severed about two inches from
the base. The bone was exposed and he was in a lot of
pain.
The raccoon needed surgery, but he was too weak and
would not have survived the anesthesia. So, we provided supportive therapy utilizing pain medications, antibiotics, heat and fluids. The next day he began to have
seizures, and we were not sure he was going to survive.
We continued supportive therapy for two weeks. Finally,
the seizures had stopped and he was strong enough to
survive surgery.
Surgery was performed by Dr. Jason Wilson, from West
Trenton Animal Hospital. Dr. Wilson removed necrotic
tissue and bone and covered the remaining tail stump
with skin that would re-grow fur. The consensus from all
sources was the raccoon could survive in the wild without
a fully functioning tail.
For the next three weeks, we thought he was being a
quiet, cooperative wild patient (very unlike a raccoon),
but he was actually planning his great escape! He evidently had been studying our cage construction and daily
procedures. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to
break out after the clinic closed and all of the personnel
left the building.
(Continued on page 14)
what’s inside
Raccoon Independence Day Celebration
1
Observations
3
Patient Log
5
Volunteer Page
8
Green Page: Plastic Bottles in the Garden
11
Wildlife: Through the Eyes of a Child
12
Mercer County Wildlife Center - 1748 River Road, Titusville, NJ 08560 (609)303-0552
COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Brian M. Hughes
MERCER COUNTY PARK
COMMISSION
Andrew R. Worek, President
Sharon Gardner, Vice President
Carmen Corcoran
Dominic V. Longo
Thomas G. Mladenetz
James J. Schulz, Jr.
Walter D. Smith
Phil Voorhees
Charles E. Waldron
Kevin B. Bannon, Executive Director
Paul Adezio, PC Counsel
STAFF
Diane Nickerson, Director
Jane Rakos-Yates, Clinic Supervisor
Nicole Golden, Clinic Supervisor
WILDLIFE CENTER INC.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sharon Lauchaire, President
Sara Nicolls, Treasurer
Rebecca McCorry, Secretary
VOLUNTEER VETERINARIANS
Peter Batts, MRCVS
Jerome M. Glickstein, VMD
L. Paul Lanctot, VMD
Erica A. Miller, DVM
Paul Wagner, VMD
Christopher Weisner, DVM
Jason Wilson, DVM
ART DIRECTOR/EDITOR
Jami Arbizu
Dear Friends,
There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the Mercer County
Wildlife Center. Our Wildlife Center is a unique, modern facility that not only
allows greater possibilities for treatment and rehabilitation of injured and
displaced wildlife, but new opportunities to engage and teach the public
about nature. This facility is one of the only sites of its kind in all of New
Jersey, and it is part of our continuing commitment to be respectful and
responsible stewards of our native environment.
Over the past 28 years the Mercer County Wildlife Center has provided an
invaluable service to County residents and to our surrounding communities.
In 2012 our staff and volunteers treated more than 2,200 animals at the
facility and handled more than 13,000 telephone inquiries from the public.
As County Executive, I am grateful for the number of our residents who
choose to volunteer their time in the effort to aid the native wildlife of the
area and I am equally thankful for the many businesses, organizations, veterinarians and others who donate a variety of goods and services. The
Wildlife Center would not be operational were it not for this spirit of volunteerism.
Inside this newsletter, you will find a wealth of information on everything
from unfamiliar animals, diseases that threaten our wildlife, and facts and
insight from our staff and volunteers. Best wishes in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Brian M. Hughes
County Executive
The Mercer County Wildlife Center is
operated and maintained by the
Mercer County Park Commission.
Kevin B. Bannon, Executive Director
www.mercercountyparks.org
2
OBSERVATIONS
One of the spills near Rahway affected a large number of
aquatic turtles. Not only a large number, but large turtles!
When the staff at TSBRR informed us that they had snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentine) in the 40 to 50 pound
range, we all thought they were kidding! They were not!!!
BY DIANE NICKERSON
MCWC acted as a half-way point between TSBRR, the spill
location and Turtle Rescue of New Jersey (TRONJ). They
went to TSBRR for treatment, came to us for a short stay
and then to TRONJ, for further treatment, or back to Rahway for release. This event marked the highest population of turtles that MCWC ever had in the clinic at one
time.
Many of us have been directly touched through loss of
property, pets and even family and friends. Our heartfelt
sympathies are extended to all of those affected by this
storm and its aftermath. As we all strive to return to our
lives, we are taking inventory as well. The process of rebuilding leads to reevaluating how we live our lives and
the commitments we have made to our communities.
Looking ahead to 2013, as you read this, our new volunteer orientations will be complete and new and returning
Volunteer Wildlife technicians will be busy at work as the
summer season kicks into high gear. It is a very busy
time of year – but, equally rewarding and exciting.
White-tail deer fawn
October of 2012 will always be remembered for a girl
named Sandy! Where were you when Hurricane Sandy hit
the coast of New Jersey? Most of us were riveted to the
television watching the countless scenes of destruction
flashing before our eyes. But so many of us were then in
the dark, literally, listening to the wind and wondering
when power would be restored. Unfortunately, those were
the lucky ones who were able to stay in their homes. So
many had to evacuate, or were forced to leave to save
their lives. Many have still not been able to return to badly
damaged or non-existent homes.
Sandy Garrison has been designing and building cages for
us for many years. She always manages to find a group
of volunteers and gets everything organized, up and functioning for us. During 2012 a new volunteer graced our
doorstep. When Eric Stephens arrived to help, Sandy was
ever so grateful. He is much bigger than Sandy and a
Our colleagues at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research
(TSBRR) in Newark, DE responded to two oil spill events
in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and provided some technical guidance on several others. In total they received
about 230 animals from the responses. They responded
from the day after the hurricane (30 October) through
December. They did additional wildlife field observations
during the month of January to monitor the populations.
Diane
from the
director
Snapping turtle
3
THE WILDLIFE CENTER, INC.
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
BY SHARON LAUCHAIRE, PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WILDLIFE CENTER INC.
I hope that some of you
were able to attend the
Wildlife Center, Inc. Spring
Festival. For those of you
who could not join us,
please take a look at the
wonderful photographs of
the event. We could not
have ordered a more beautiful spring day to celebrate
the work of the Wildlife Center at the recently renovated
Kuser Mansion on Baldpate
Mountain. The views are
spectacular, and I encourage anyone who has not
visited to bring your hiking shoes and explore the mountain -- and observe its wildlife. A
big thank you to the Mercer County Park Commission for providing a wonderful venue.
There are many people who made the event a success, many of whom dedicated their
time or services. I hope we did not leave anyone out in the lists alongside this column.
We could not have held such a successful event without so much help. The donations
that we received allowed us to significantly limit our expenses and generate more proceeds for the Center.
Kuser Mansion back patio
I also hope you have gotten a chance to see the new video depicting the work of the
Wildlife Center. We cannot thank Tom Upton of BetaWorks enough for donating his time
and incredible talents to help promote the Center. Anyone wishing to view the video can
do so at our website http://wcinc.org/index.html.
I recently attended a meeting of the Mercer County Park Commission held at the Center.
It gave me the opportunity, on behalf of the Board, to thank the county for working cooperatively with us to further the mission of the Center. It was also a chance to thank our
Executive Director Diane Nickerson for acting as the liaison between the Board and the
County. Diane juggles many balls each and every day. It is amazing that she never
drops one. Thanks for everything Diane!!
As many of you know, we have plans to create an outdoor educational space at the Center. These plans are moving forward. The plans call for a number of different natural
habitat environments and several areas of reflection. We hope to use your input to design these areas. Several years ago, the Wildlife Center, Inc. sold engraved bricks to
many of our members. Funds raised from this effort will be used toward the outside educational spaces. Please know that we have retained all of the order forms and the inscriptions. These bricks will be incorporated into the design of the outside space. We
thought now would be a good time to revive the brick campaign. Information for ordering a brick can be found in the newsletter.
Thank you again for supporting the Mercer County Wildlife Center and the Wildlife Center,
Inc.
Sharon Lauchaire
President
Spring For Wildlife Festival
Volunteers & Contributors ~
Restaurants
Inn of the Hawke
Phillips Fine Wines
Revere Ristorante
Nook's Pourhouse
Trenton Social
Marsilio's
Magma Pizza & Pita
Homestead Market
City Market
Main Street
Let Them Eat Cake
Kennedy's Cheesecakes
Silent Auction Donations
Eric Sambol, nature photographer
Emily Willoughby, invitation artist
Marie Grace - Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ
Lisa Kennedy - Wow, I painted that!!
Tracy Leaver - Easy Breezes, Inc.
Stephanie Foy
Kathy Coffey
Sponsors
Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. Fund of the
Princeton Area Community Foundation
Hamilton Pet Meadow
Marvin Cheiten
Joan L Mueller and Philip E Lian
Princeton Area Community Foundation
Mary Rabbit and David Mackie
Joseph Schmeltz
Harlingen Veterinary Clinic
Professional & Facility Donations
Mercer County Parks Commission
Tom Upton - BetaWorks (videographer)
Wesley Hilton, photographer
4
PATIENT LOG
MCWC TREATED 2,217 ANIMALS DURING 2012
Welcome to the 2012 Patient Log. Find out about some of the more interesting cases that passed through our doors
during 2012. The year brought 2,217 new patients. Happily we were able to treat and return 56% of those patients to
their native wild habitats.
Coyote
Case number 2012-00040 was presented to us on February 10th by Hamilton Animal Control. The coyote (Canis latrans) had been one of a pack
of six crossing route 295. Sadly, it was the last to be crossing and was hit
by a car – the driver somehow failed to notice the pack of six large canines!
He arrived unconscious and bleeding from his mouth and nose. Radiographs revealed two fractures of his facial bones surrounding his left eye.
The eyes were swollen closed. We began a treatment plan for pain management. He remained unconscious for close to a week so fluid therapy
kept him going in the meantime. When he finally regained consciousness
it was apparent that he had some neurologic deficits and his vision was
very questionable.
In consult with our veterinarians, once he was eating on his own, it was
decided to move him into an outdoor enclosure to minimize the stress of
captivity. The fewer human sights, sounds and smells, the better was his
chance of recovery. There he remained for the summer. Gaining strength,
mobility and balance and recovering nicely neurologically. However, the
vision in his left eye was still questionable. Due to the change in the bone
structure of his face, the eye was set farther back in the socket.
Dr. Weisner had stopped by one Saturday afternoon to check on some of the patients and we decided to have a look at
the coyote. Together we set up an obstacle course in
the enclosure to determine his navigation skills. Once
complete we flushed him from one end to the other
Box turtle
and he never missed a beat. He had learned to compensate for his vision deficit and was ready for release. That is exactly what happened on September
12th, 2012. With an assist from Hamilton Animal
Control, he was returned to a location very close to
where he had been found initially, in hopes
that he would be able to re-connect with
his pack.
Case# 2012-00342
Admittedly, reptiles are not my forte.
This box turtle is
I know that they have shells and
slightly larger than a
scales, that birds probably shared
an ancient relative (Archaeopteryx),
golf ball. About 1/4
that they are cold-blooded and eggthe size of an adult
laying. And there it ends. I generally
do not find them particularly appealturtle of this type.
ing or interesting. That all changed
Well-meaning rescuers can cause irreversible
damage simply due to improper nutrition.
5
PATIENT LOG
(Continued from page 5)
when case number 2012-00342 arrived on the 24th of
April. The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
had been “rescued” as a hatchling in May 2010. In the
two years that it had been held in captivity it had been fed
a diet consisting of mostly iceberg lettuce, with a strawberry thrown in for good measure every now and then.
So what, you ask, does a two year old box turtle that had
been fed iceberg lettuce for almost its entire life look like?
It was a little larger than a golf ball, weighing in at a staggering 24 grams! – less than an ounce for the metric system challenged of you reading this journal. Its shell was
misshapen, it was dehydrated and suffering from metabolic bone disease from the lack of a balanced diet. After
consulting with Harriet Forrester from Turtle Rescue of
New Jersey – who constantly reminds me how resilient
and remarkable the shelled creatures can be – we started
a diet laden with proteins and natural foods for this turtle.
The first earthworm it saw was bigger than the turtle.
However, with gusto befitting a turtle ten times its size,
the earthworm was toast!
The little turtle filled its stomach and gained strength over
the next few months. By the time it was ready for release
on the 19th of August, it had quadrupled its body weight –
though it was still about ¼ of an average body weight for
an adult box turtle. Hopewell Animal Control officer,
Belinda Ogitis took our tiniest patient back to the location
it had originally been “rescued” and sent it on its way to a
life as an appropriately wild turtle – our perfect little,
miniature box turtle!
Red fox kit
Watching them develop new skills, play and interact on a
social level was fascinating. It is one of the ways that we
learn how to provide necessary things for them to do during their stay in captivity. These little rust-colored fluffs
put on a show, better than any on television, for the entire summer. We were so lucky to have this opportunity to
observe behaviors of these normally elusive and secretive
animals.
The summer of 2012 was the summer of red foxes
(Vulpes vulpes) – and thus, the summer of unbearable
cuteness! In total, we treated fifteen foxes in 2012, twelve
of which were kits. They arrived for reasons ranging from
being flooded out of a den during a storm to potential
(illegal) pets to (illegally set) leg-hold traps. Based on the
locations in which they had been found and approximate
ages, we made two smaller family groups of the kits.
During the last week of August and the first week of September we split them up into smaller groups and released
them all back to the areas in which they had originally
been found. And, thus ended the summer of unbearable
cuteness.
Patient # 2012-00929 arrived at the center on the 30th of
June. The immature Canada goose (Branta Canadensis)
had been the target of an intentionally cruel human being.
The bird had been used for target practice by someone
with a nail gun and had seven nails imbedded throughout
its body. The person had even been so creative as to
make darts out of the nails by placing blue tape around
the nail heads so they would not pass through the bird’s
body completely – but, would instead, stay in place to
cause more pain.
Once stabilized, quarantined and self-feeding, they were
moved to outdoor enclosures. It is in these enclosures
that they honed the skills necessary for a life in the wild.
They found hiding spots, they developed leaping, climbing
and balancing skills. They hunted for “prey”. This was
one of the first enclosures that our new “fix-it” volunteer –
Eric Stephens - took on as a project. He slatted the front
and sides to cut visual exposure to caregivers and hung
makeshift hammocks for relaxing on lazy summer days.
Staff member Nicole Golden went to work adding old tires,
wooden shipping pallets and hide boxes to enrich their
environment.
We were unable to determine how long this bird had been
suffering. It had a systemic infection causing a very high
6
Case
#201
2-00
929:
Anim
al C
ruel
ty
Canada goose
fever. One of the nails had gone through the upper and lower beak making feeding and drinking
impossible. Radiographs taken on arrival revealed the only positive note. The perpetrator
had bad aim and had not hit any vital organs. So,
if we were able to get the infection under control
and successfully treat the dehydration and starvation, the goose’s chances looked optimistic.
With Dr. Batts leading the way, that is what we did! Six
weeks later, fitted with a United States Fish and Wildlife
Service band, this goose was returned to the wild and a
second chance at a long life on the 10th of August – in spite
of the person who had tried to end its life.
Sadly, though we received several reports of more geese
with nails from the same area, and state officials worked
diligently, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife was unable to locate the person (I use that term loosely) responsible for this senseless cruelty. There are more than a few
volunteers who would like to locate the person and a leftover nail gun……
and flight capabilities (and molting tail feathers!), this
bird was released on June 26th of 2012, after nine
months in care. A happy ending for her and all of the
staff, veterinarians and volunteers who worked painstakingly to give her a second chance.
I Look forward to bringing you more interesting cases at
the end of 2013!
RELEASED
Update - Case number 2011-01674. Great horned owl
(Bubo virginianus), arrived on October 16th, 2011 after being removed from an improperly set leg-hold trap. In the
last newsletter we wrote - As of this writing, she is in an
outside flight, waiting to molt a new tail – we were not successful in preventing her from damaging her feathers while
inside. We are hopeful for a spring release for this bird.
We will wait until after mating season. She will need time
to acclimate to hunting without one toe. Feeding herself
the first season will be enough for her to handle. Asking
her to feed young as well would not be in her best longterm interests.
After spending the winter and spring regaining strength
rned
t-ho
owl
a
Gre
7
Volunteers
don’t get paid, not because they are
worthless, but because they are priceless!
BY E. KUZIEL
Since last spring, I spend my Sunday mornings, or alternate Sunday mornings in the winter, at the Wildlife Center. The work at the Center, and the peaceful drive down
Pennington-Harbourton Road past Baldpate Mountain, is
something to which I look forward all week. Many of my
“real job” colleagues consider me a little unhinged to give
up Sunday mornings to care for creatures that at least
some of them consider to be pests. Such comments sometimes provide the opportunity to gently remind my colleagues that the animals occupied the area prior to humans and that many of the animals would not be in need
of the Center were it not for interactions with humans,
their vehicles, or their pets.
Eliza
beth
gradually grow up and learn to distrust humans. It is natural to want to be liked by such animals, but I have come
to appreciate the importance of encouraging distance
from the animals if they are to survive when they are released.
I have a biology background and have kept all sorts of
pets since I was a child, as have my children, so I felt
pretty confident that I was well prepared to work at the
Wildlife Center. I rapidly came to appreciate just how
much I had to learn from the more experienced volunteers
and staff at the Center. Simply following the diverse food
requirements of the animals is a huge task, despite the
notes in the rooms and on the animal records. Feeding
and medicating an injured wild adult skunk or owl is just
not the same as doing the same with ones pet cat, bird, or
rabbit; it is far more challenging – and often far more exciting. I have learned that mice are used as furry “pill
pockets” for delivering medication to raptors, that baby
rabbits and opossums have to be tube-fed while squirrels
and raccoons will drink from nipples on the ends of syringes or bottles, that most baby birds keep opening their
beaks for food even when they have full crops, and that
some animals will suck down antibiotics from a syringe
while others would far rather bite both the syringe and the
hand holding it. I have learned that some animals are true
escape artists - I spent time one morning chasing an adult
squirrel (injured when trapped under a dumpster lid)
around the room after it had chewed its way out of its
carrier, only to have it eventually dive back into the carrier
through the hole it had made. I have experienced the
pleasure of feeding and cleaning animals and the disappointment in learning that one died or had to be euthanized in the time between my weekend shifts. I have also
learned to appreciate the importance of seeing an animal
that we bottle-fed and that had little fear of humans
After the sounds and smells of spring and summer at the
Wildlife Center, I find winter relatively quiet, as most of
the residents are injured adult animals or the unreleaseable “education animals”. There is no early morning
clamor of baby animals announcing that they are hungry
and no aroma of juvenile animals, such as, raccoons who
have decorated their cages with feces and food during the
night and who must be attended to rapidly. There is time
to spend a few extra minutes with the education animals.
The tiny saw whet owl has great personality, the bat missing one ear loves to eat, and the woodchuck that was
hand-reared and is therefore unreleasable likes its head
scratched but likes peanuts even more – but it should
never have been tamed in the first place.
I feel as though I learn something new about wild animals
every time I do my shift at the Wildlife Center. For me, it
is tremendous fun and rewarding, but it is also not a job
for the squeamish; a few volunteers who start each year
do not last more than a few weeks. The job is far from
simply feeding cute baby animals. It can be smelly, it is
often very dirty, and depending on the weather and if one
is working with the animals housed outside, it can also be
uncomfortably hot or cold. For me, however, I have
gained more enjoyment from volunteering at the Wildlife
Center than doing anything else since I moved to NJ almost four years ago.
8
VOLUNTEERS
AN INTERN STORY
BY JEAN ALTOMARE
Clinic
Supervisors
Kelsey Bruno
Zoe Landau
Vivian Loik
Nicole Sandusky
Kristi Schollenberger
Lynn Abell
Raymond Agins
Jami Arbizu
Brian Azrolan
Beth Barnes
Kathy Bascio
Stephanie Birch
Ley Breuel
Pia Cattarinich
Tom Chipko
Candace Clough
Karen Cullen
Julie Cohen
Linda Covello
Laura Danish
Patti Deinhardt
Dave Deinhardt
Geneva Damiani
Michael Dzergoski
June Dennis
Nancy Derrico
Josephine Dutko
Tom Elberson
Alina Feola
Janet Forgrieve
Jeannie Fitton
Stephanie Foy
Sandy Garrison
Jacquie Genovasi
Jeanine Gilsdorf
Helen Golden
Joseph Gresko
Gretel Guerra
Jodi Harley
Ron Harkov
Lisa Hewitt
Georgia Holman
Sharon Holmes
Jennifer Jones
Kelsey Jones
Barbara Jones
Carol Katona
Bob Kaempfen
Carol Kaslander
Debbie Kemp
Connie Kliwinski
Chris Knoll
Cheryl Kobren
Kyle Kokotajlo
Elizabeth Kuziel
Kelly LaRue
Jen Lauer
Marie Lauer
Jan Lilly
Anthony Long
Heidi Mass
Marwan Malloy
Donna Micai
Linda Mihavetz
Leslie Miller
Linda Mills
Gale Mirzayanov
Ray Moore
Nick Murry
Wendy Most
Heather Nasife
Kacy O’Brien
Mary O’Connor
Jeanne Out
Brenda Pakoszdi
Geoffery Peters
Susan Pie
Steve Pie
Audie Poole
Kin Plett
Joan Prins
Christine Ray
Jean Ray
Shannon Ray
Marsha Regn
Amanda Rose
Dan Rose
Rebecca Revay
Mike Richardson
Tim Richards
Sussi Riggleman
Christina Riggleman
Jack Roberts
Tina Salava
Sri Santhanam
Sheila Shulman
Ingrid Seadler
Karen Seehausen
Joseph Schmeltz
Bruce Scully
Susan Scully
Patricia Scully
Anna Signor
Stephanie Slobada
Bob Smith
Debbie Smith
Barbara Solem
Jodi Specter
Jenny Stamm
Ben Strauss
Jean Strauss
Tim Steinbeiser
Eric Stephens
Frank Stillwell
Aggie Szilaggi
Kathleen Tarangioli
Lisa Terneson
Sabrina Tirpak
Lorrie Topolin
Karen Theer
John Vanellis
Ryan Vetter
Thomas Vetter
Sylvia Vichkulwrapan
Barbara Warfel
Robert Weston
Kathryn Williams
Sandy Wilcox
Emily Willoughby
Claudia Winters
Mary Wood
Anne Wooley
Molly Wright
Anne Wysocki
Valerie Young
Darren Zatuchney
Sharon Zimmerman
Summer Interns
Darnell Brister
Timothy Bearss
Jaime Friscia
Kristin Hughes
Samantha
McWilliams
George Ngo
Jessica Novobilsky
Sarah Ongaro
Rebecca Revay
Chistine Roth
Volunteer
Veterinarians
Dr. Peter Batts
Dr. Jerome Glickstein
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Paul Lanctot
Paul Wagner
Chris Weisner
Jason Wilson
Wildlife Center,
Inc.
Sharon Lachaire
Sara Nicolls
Rebecca McCorry
Eastern cottontail
This summer I took a friend out to ice cream, to catch up
and talk about what we had done in the months since we
had seen each other last. It was obviously going to be a
good evening, because the guy behind the counter who
served me my indulgent treat was definitely gorgeous and
definitely looking at me more than he should have been.
So, I tipped Counter-guy more than I needed to and my
girlfriend and I sat down to discuss our lives. Her story
was about what I had expected. Her college was going
well, she was enjoying her studies and relaxing in her free
time, had seen a few movies and enjoyed two of them especially so, and her favorite band at that time was the
Beach Boys. As the subject shifted to me I tried to figure
out how to graciously explain what I do, so as not to completely blow her activities away.
I know my internship is awesome and I work in the best
field on the earth, but if I sound like I am having more fun
than I deserve to be, sometimes people get a bit... peeved.
But Counter-guy kept looking at me, and I did not want to
sound like all I did was cuddle fuzzy animals and clean
poop. It needed to sound fairly entertaining so he would
keep listening, and perhaps a bit edgy, because he did
have a few slightly gauged piercings.
So I told her I was interning at a wildlife rehabilitation
clinic, and explained what that entailed in terms of goal
and purpose. He looked intrigued; she looked thoughtful.
I continued, explaining that most of what I did was cleaning and feeding, but I also got to do all sorts of interesting
procedures and talk to all kinds of crazy people. She was
quiet, which is normal for her, so I kept talking.
9
AN INTERN STORY (CONT.)
is not boring; it is the most exciting three months of my
year! I work with wild animals - I make them better!
What is so boring about that?!
None of this chaos left my head, however, because when
it comes down to it, I did not have much to say that
would be conducive to a conversation. The only stories I
seem to have now are stories about the animals I work
with and the chaos at the clinic. I do not even remember
what it was I conversed with people about before I
started working at the center. I know I must have had
something to talk about at college, because I very obviously remember sitting with friends for hours, wasting
precious study time. But, now that I find my joy in baby
birds and groundhogs... I can not remember anything
remotely interesting that happens in my life outside of
animals. I am sure, in time, that will change, and I will
once again be able to talk with counter-guys and old
friends about... shopping? The beach? I am not quite
sure.
I told her about geese catching - which leaves me with
stripes on my arm five weeks later; because once the
gashes heal the mark stays. I regaled her with my story
of heroic bravery in the face of a bat bite, and when that
did not stun her too much, the vulture bite, which was
much more painful but did not require the emergency
rabies booster. I explained the level of finesse needed to
tube-feed a mourning dove and the dangers associated
with air sacs and subcutaneous fluids in birds. I lost myself in telling the story of the first chimney swifts I ever
fed, and the time I was rushed by a bald eagle. In telling
her my stories I revealed a part of myself I had not
shown her before, the part where I was passionate about
something with the full force of my being, as opposed to
the beaten-down schoolgirl she had known. In college, I
was often miserable and blue, wishing I was back working with animals and struggling to pay attention to
classes that have nothing to do with my intended career.
Very few of my friends from school have ever seen me as
the excited and joyful person that I am when working in
a wildlife clinic.
But for now, I am perfectly content knowing that my stories awaken a joy inside of me that was long dormant
and much needed. Now, I wish to be nowhere but surrounded by the wildlife I am learning to love so dearly,
even if it means that the only stories I have are about
the birds learning to eat mealworms and about me failing
to find an animal in the computer system because I
looked for 'bunny' and not 'rabbit'. Boring? I think not.
I came back from my tangent and stopped talking, because she looked as if she had a question. Counter-boy
stared at me with a face full of... curiosity? Bewilderment? Hard to tell, I knew him only a little.
Editor Note:
Jean is currently living in Brooklyn, NY and is the office
manager of 350.org, an international non-profit that
works on climate change.
"So..." she stirred her ice cream and stared at me for a
second, "...what do you do for fun?”
She kind of caught me by surprise there, because that IS
what I do for fun. Outside of the internship, I do not
really do all that much. I read, sleep, make food when I
am bored, and write about being at the clinic. To me,
that is a well-rounded day.
"Well, my job... that is what I enjoy.” She stared at me,
blankly. "I do not do very much outside of that, I am
usually wiped out when I get home and feel like relaxing."
I
"So then... your summer is kind of boring?"
Mercer
County
Wildlife C
enter
I was flabbergasted. Did she not just hear all those stories? Did I not just tell her that I have spent my summer
running around a clinic holding baby rabbits and catching
red-tailed hawks? Was she even listening?! Counter-boy
was standing by the sprinkles, smirking, and I decided
then that his ear-gaugings were not tasteful and he was
not worth my time. What was this, some kind of horrible
set-up to make me look like a nutcase? No my summer
10
Plastic Bottles in
the Garden B Y J A M I A R B I Z U
GREEN PAGE:
Recycling water bottles is easy, yet people in the U.S. toss 2.5 million plastic bottles into the trash per hour instead of
the recycling bin. Those millions per hour add up to billions of plastic bottles per year that end up in landfills, littering
roads, beaches, streams and other bodies of water and polluting the environment. So before you throw your empty bottles into the trash, consider turning them into a useful garden tool or accessory.
3.
1.
Plastic bottles of all shapes and sizes make great planters!
4.
EASY birdfeeder project.
2.
Build a Portable Golf Course
It’s hard to resist
putt-ering around
the yard on a
weekend
afternoon. All it takes
to get a quick
game underway is
a few plastic practice golf balls and
the following:
3 or so plastic
bottles, Colored
tape,
Markers,
Cardboard, Cardboard tube.
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Need an extra sprinkler or watering can? Look
in your recycling bin.
1. Instant Golf Holes - For each one, trim off the bottom
of the pbottle, then cut an arched hole in the base.
2. Use colored tape and markers to number the bottles.
3. Makeshift Clubs - Fold a 3” x 11.5” piece of cardboard
around the bottom of a cardboard tube (from a roll of
wrapping paper). Wrap duct tape around the two
pieces to secure them together, then wrap the rest of
the tube. FORE!!
Make A Worry
-Free
WorrySelf
Self-Watering Planter
All you need for these clever planters is a 2L plastic
soda bottle and some yarn or string. First, cut the bottle
in half, and thread some string or yarn through the bottle cap. Now invert the top half into the base and add
your plants and soil. The yarn will act as a wick and the
plants will take the water as they need it. Clear bottles
makes it easier to see when the water needs refilling, or
add some paint or colorful duct tape for decoration.
Read more: The Effects of Not Recycling Water Bottles | eHow http://www.ehow.com/list_7285421_effects-notrecycling-water-bottles.html#ixzz2Sz8lcsu5
11
WILDLIFE
Through the Eyes of a Child
Students from the Lambertville Public School have provided us with a child’s
perspective of New Jersey wildlife. It is so important, with our growing population, and increasing infringement on previously wild areas, that we educate
our children about the beauty and importance of native wildlife and the effects that we have on the environment around us. As well as, what we can
do to help.
Katharine Duggan
8 yrs old - 2nd grade
THE BEAUTIFUL WILDLIFE OF
NEW JERSEY
BY VIVIAN ARTUR
9 YEARS OLD - 4th GRADE
In New Jersey there are many different
types of wildlife such as—-deer, foxes,
minks, muskrats, opossums, otters
rabbits, raccoon,, and skunk. Some
hunters will shoot wild ducks and
geese along marshy shores of the
beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Game birds of
the meadows and woodlands include
partridge, pheasants, quail, ruffed
grouse, and wild turkeys.
Allyson Siwy - 10 yrs old - 5th grade
Some clams, crabs, lobsters, menhaden, and oysters live in New Jersey’s
costal waters. New Jersey’s state bays
and streams abound with bass, bluefish, crappies, pickerel, pike, salmon,
shad, sturgeon, trout, and some weakfish.
All of those animals and wildlife have
different eco systems. An eco system
is a natural habitat with plants and
animals. All of those animals and eco
systems should be respected and not
harmed. For instants, if you see any
animal you should not run off and
scare it away, you should let it run off
on its own.
From the sandy shore to the thick forests, New Jersey has many different
wildlife habitats and eco systems.
Ava Duggan - 5 yrs old - Kindergarten
12
Dream List
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Office Supplies
Copier paper
81/2” x 11”
Printing services
Liquid Paper
Ink cartridges for
HP deskjet 6940
HP Office jet Pro 8000
Surge Protector Strips
Animal Care and Handling
Stella Reed - 7 yrs old - 1st grade
A NOTE ABOUT TURTLES
I am sure that this is a familiar story for many people. This was one lucky
turtle and thankfully Stella and her Grandfather were kind enough to move it
to safety. What should you do if you see a turtle in the road?
Whether it is injured or not, you must always remember that it is a wild animal and may not know if you are there to harm or help it...always use extreme caution. If uninjured, place the turtle in a safe place on the side of
the road, in the direction it was headed in the first place. If you place
it on the opposite side, it will most likely attempt to cross the road again.
Arm & Hammer laundry detergent
Bleach
Food storage bags-gallon size
Heating pads (without auto-off)
“Kennel Kabs” - any size
Paper towels
Pet bowls
“Pet Taxis” - any size
Receiving blankets
Ketch-All Poles
Nets
Gloves
Animal Food
Wellness Kitten dry food
Canned Wellness Canine
Pedialyte
Lauren Duggan - 10 yrs old - 4th grade
Medical Supplies
Fr feeding tubes
3-1/2, 5 & 8
Gauze Pads
4”x4” & 2”x2”
Non-adherent Pad
Hemostats
Kling Wrap
1” x 60”
2” x 60”
3” x 60”
Latex exam gloves
medium and large
Nutri-cal
Vet Wrap
2” & 4”
Tegaderm 1620
***PLEASE NOTE***
WHERE BRAND NAMES ARE SPECIFIED WE
CANNOT ACCEPT SUBSTUTES
13
RACCOON INDEPENDENCE DAY (CONT.)
By this time the raccoon had been here for over a month
recovering. He had had enough of being at the Wildlife
Center. Even though a delicious food dish was delivered
twice each day and clean, comfortable bedding was a
daily occurrence, it was not enough to convince this raccoon to enjoy being in captivity.
The day before his sutures were to be removed, and he
would have been moved to an outside enclosure for conditioning prior to being released, he made his big break.
That evening he chewed through the cage hardware
cloth and squeezed through a small hole at the bottom of
the cage door. After a wake-up call from the alarm company at 2:00 AM that there was motion in the treatment
room, we arrived the following morning to find an empty
cage and a “redecorated” treatment room!! Hoping to
find his way out, he had opened all the cabinets and
drawers and deposited their contents on the floor; window screens were removed, and feces and urine were
hidden everywhere!
Thus began the intense search (and clean-up) of the
treatment room. We confirmed that he had to be in the
treatment room because the doors to adjacent rooms
had been locked. That left only one place for him to go up into the suspended drop ceiling!! But, how?!!?! There
were not any ceiling tiles moved or out of place.
Hmmm….where the heck had he gone? We finally
climbed up on the counter and examined the wall above
the cabinets. That was when we found raccoon footprints
in the dust on top of the cabinets (we really need to
clean up there!) and tiny little paw prints on the wall just
below the ceiling tiles. He must have climbed up on the
counter, and then scaled the window to reach the top of
the cabinets. From there it was a short trip to
duck into a ceiling tile without moving it!
above the drop ceiling, baited with lovely dishes of food
and fresh water. And the wait began….
The raccoon did not go into the traps for food. We put
fresh food and water in the traps every day. We checked
every morning and Mark came and checked almost every
afternoon. No raccoon. We never heard a sound coming
from the ceiling, but of course we are closed and out of the
building by 8:00 PM. Since raccoons are nocturnal, he was
no doubt trying his hardest to escape from the building.
He was in the ceiling for thirteen days and nights and did
not touch the food or water in the trap. Wild animals are
adapted to survive without food and water for long periods
of time, because they never know when they will find their
next meal. However, we were beginning to have our
doubts about his survival.
Finally, on the fourteenth day, we arrived in the morning to
ceiling tile dust on the floor in our triage room. We
checked the trap and he had finally gone in to eat and
drink and was caught! We managed to get this photo before removing the trap from the ceiling. The raccoon was
not at all thrilled with being caged, yet one more time.
The same day he was caught we removed the sutures from
the surgical site on his tail and vaccinated him. Not wanting to take a chance on losing him again, we prepared him
for release. He definitely wanted out! For the remainder
of that day and overnight, we relocated him to a large canine live-trap. There was not going to be any chance that
we were going to chase him around the ceiling again!
The next day he was released. It was Wednesday, July 4.
Independence Day.
We removed a few ceiling tiles so he could
climb back down and tried leaving food and
water out on the counter. He did not come
down. We did this for four days before realizing we needed backup help. So we called in
the expertise of Mark Johnson, Princeton Animal Control Officer. Mark spent hours on our
roof and looking into the ceiling before determining the raccoon could not have escaped
the building through the roof and that he was
contained in the ceiling of only two rooms. It
was a relief to know that he could not get beyond firewalls and have access to the entire
building above the ceiling!
Mark set up two live-traps in the two rooms
14
OBSERVATIONS (CONT.)
great deal stronger! So, the roofs on the new cages and the grunt
work are much less of a struggle these days. Eric also has the “fixit” mentality and capabilities. He managed to design a filter system
in our waterfowl enclosure that (mostly) keeps the water clean –
you can only keep it so clean with ducks and geese in it!! We look
forward to his continued contributions to our work at MCWC.
Again, this year, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ron Kobli, owner of the Decoys and Wildlife Art Gallery in
Frenchtown. Ron holds an open house every year on the last Sunday in February. He invites us to come, present education programs, solicit donations and memberships and sell raffle tickets. At the end of the day he donates pieces from
his gallery for the raffle. It is always a great afternoon of old friends, tasty refreshments and making of new acquaintances. We’ll look forward to seeing everyone next year on February 23, 2014. Many thanks to Ron for the exposure to possible new supporters and the many gifts he sends our way.
As always, more thanks than I can express to our volunteers. They show up week after week, month after month, and
many, year after year. We could not do our work and be successful without them. Thanks to their efforts, MCWC treated
2,217 patients during 2012, releasing 56.2% back into the wild for a second chance. In total, these volunteers provided
approximately 13,000 hours to MCWC and the native wildlife of New Jersey. A big thanks also to our volunteers who do
not have the ability to commit to animal care. They write thank you letters, organize and run events, staff the board of
directors, design publications, handle donations and stuff envelopes. We would be lost without their help, as well.
Finally, thanks to you, our members. We spoke to over 13,000 of you this year by telephone, trying to answer your
questions and concerns about your wild neighbors. We also visited your schools and civic groups and reached out to
about 22,000 of you with our education programs. We continue to be here to serve you because you care enough to be
there to support us.
Bald Eagle
ADOR
S
S
A
B
M
MAL A
I
N
A
MCWC
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
The eagle arrived at Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research on 6/6/2006 from Monds Island, New Jersey,
as an eight-week old nestling. A storm had blown the
nest out of its tree and the eagle and her sibling
were on the ground. Her nest mate was uninjured
and was placed on a platform where the parents
continued care. This eagle had fractured the radius
and ulna (the bones between the elbow and wrist) of
her right wing. It had begun to heal at a 90 degree
angle. Surgery was performed to correct the position
of the bones. The wing healed straight, but with a
calcification between the two bones that prohibits full
range of motion. Therefore, she is not able to fly well
enough to hunt and would not be able to survive in
the wild. She came to the Mercer County Wildlife
Center at ten weeks of age and we have enjoyed
watching her mature.
15
 If you find an animal in distress, please keep it warm and quiet.
 Handle the animal as little as possible, keeping it away from pets and children.
 Any attempt to feed or force water may not be in the best interest of the animal.
Call the Center at (609) 303-0552.
An animal may not actually need assistance, and bringing them in may cause
them more harm.
Although the Center will gladly offer referrals, domestic animals cannot be accepted as patients.
Unfortunately, the Mercer County Wildlife Center is not equipped to provide a pick-up service.
 Remember...an animal in distress may not know that you are there to help.
Extreme caution should always be
used when assisting an injured animal.
16

Summer 2013 Newsletter - Mercer County Park Commission

Transcription

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