Rehabilitation efforts include emergency first aid and convalescence of sick or injured birds of prey. This aspect of the program involves cooperation with regional wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians to provide the best possible care for birds with health problems. The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine is available for assessing and treating clinical needs of sick or injured birds.
CRP Rehab Cases
Each year, the CRP deals with a 20 - 25 rehabilitation cases. Below are two of our success stories.
Fall, 1988
This is a Great Horned Owl that was found by students at the Caroline School in Slaterville Springs NY. He had tangled himself in their soccer net and, in his struggles to free himself, damaged one of his talons. Talons are the long sharp nails that birds of prey use to catch food. Since Great Horned Owls hunt at night, it's possible that he didn't notice the soccer net while he was trying to catch his meal. Owls have an amazing ability to see in the dark but he could have been distracted by his prey (likely mice or moles coming out at night in the field) or he might be a young owl who still hasn't learned all the hazards of the world yet.
After he was found the Caroline School teachers covered him up so he wouldn't panic and hurt himself more and he was brought to the College of Veterinary Medicine's Wildlife Clinic. The students and staff gave him an exam and pronounced him healthy other than the injured toe.
After his medical checkup he was sent on the be cared for by the members of the Cornell Raptor Program. He's housed in a large room called an aviary where he can move about and stay acclimated to the Ithaca weather. The aviary is designed so that he can have access to food and water without being disturbed by humans and possibly hurt himself more. We catch him about once a week and examine him to make sure he stays healthy and that his foot continues to heal. He is progressing well and we're hopeful that he can be released back into the wild once his toe is better.
Spring, 1999
With the arrival of spring came the release of our rehab Great Horned Owl. His talon, while not yet completely grown in, was healthy and strong, and the Owl was pronounced fit for release.
Check out Andy Yale's site for a teacher's take on the release (thanks, Andy!)