GULLS OF WALMART

 No matter how one might feel about adult seagulls – “wind rats”, “dumpster chickens”, “french fry thieves” – when it comes to the helpless, the babies, you can’t help but get emotional and get involved.  This rescue would not have been as successful without the combined efforts of AWARE, Lakeview Animal Sanctuary, Mulvey Construction and the public involvement.  We would like to thank all who took the time to lend a hand and cared enough to become involved. The following is Wild Kritters’ account of the events on that emotionally-charged day of June 9th and how it began for us.

The Rescue
 On the afternoon of June 9th, Wild Kritters received a phone call from a concerned citizen.  The caller stated that baby seagulls were being intentionally killed by the construction workers at the Lockport Mall.  Since the rehabilitator was already on a call, she could not immediately respond.  Instead, she took the information and contacted several other wildlife rehabilitation agencies in the area.  After completing the call and caring for the injured animal, two Wild Kritters volunteers headed to the Lockport site.  While in route, the Niagara County Sheriff Department, US Fish and Wildlife, and the DEC were contacted for guidance and as a precautionary measure.  Upon our arrival, Lakeview Animal Sanctuary was on site, along with several law enforcement agencies, discussing the situation with Mulvey Construction’s site foreman.    At approximately 3:30 p.m, construction was temporarily shutdown, permitting volunteers to enter the construction zone to assess the situation and remove the young birds. Volunteers from AWARE arrived on site and a plan of attack was developed on how to remove the baby birds.  Two volunteers entered the construction site and retrieve the birds.  The remaining volunteers waited outside the construction zone to received the birds, assess their injuries, and prepare them for relocation.  Inside the construction zone, several dozen baby gulls were found running under debris, looking for shelter, as the adult gulls soared above.  One by one, the gulls were captured and handed to the volunteers outside the site.  By 5:30 p.m., the rescue operation was called to a halt.  The high heat and humidity, combined with the trauma of avoiding capture, was adding stress on the babies. Thus the potential to do more harm, than good.  Approximately 40 babies had been removed, but there were still dozens more that needed to be caught.  The construction foreman agreed to allow the volunteers of Wild Kritters, AWARE and Lakeview Animal Sanctuary to return the next morning at 7:30 and  continue the rescue mission.

 When Wild Kritters returned the morning of June 10th, the construction crew had been on site since 6:00 that morning and captured 20 more baby gulls.  Volunteers from AWARE and Lakeview also returned that day and they, too, removed even more babies

 By the end of the day on June 10th, an approximate total of 63 baby gulls were removed and rescued from the site.  Out of those 63, six were taken to the Erie County SPCA Wildlife Division for medical treatment.  The remaining gulls are being cared for by AWARE and Wild Kritters, both agencies have the necessary Federal permits to care for the birds.

The “What Now”
 We are all experienced rehabilitators, we have worked with seagulls in the past, but, to have this many babies at one time is a very unique situation.  Wild Kritters has over 40 baby gulls in their care.  (If the little rascals would sit still long enough, we could get an accurate count!) We are working with Joel Thomas, Erie County SPCA Wildlife, to develop a release plan for the birds, when they are ready to be returned to the wild.  Joel is also working with Tri-State, a non profit bird rescue and research agency in Delaware to develop the release plan.

 However, until the birds can be released, we must continue to provide food, shelter and care.  Help is desperately needed.

How You Can Help
 It’s true, a seagull will eat almost anything, but our mission is to return these birds to their environment as healthy as possible.  So, sorry folks, french fries are off the food list! While in our care, their diet will consist of fish, mollusks, dry cat food moistened with water, and whatever worms they can catch.  Donations of any of the above would be appreciated.

 As the gulls get older, a bigger cage will be required.  Extra fencing, wood, or even the skills to build the cage are needed.

 Perhaps you have some extra time available and would like to get a “hands-on” involvement in the care.  Sure! We’d love the extra hand or two or three when it comes to feeding time.
 
 

The seagulls were happliy released back into the wild and they were greeted by adult seagulls, see pictures below. The pictures below are of our dedicated WK's going back later for a pm feeding  and to make sure they were okay.

MacGyver:

The Red Tail Hawk

 For several years, the residents on Dickersonville Road watched a mated pair of red tail hawks peacefully soaring in the sky, hunting in the fields, and never bothering anyone.  Red tail hawks, also known as Chicken Hawks or Buzzard Hawks, are monogamous; often mating for life.  With their excellent eye sight, eight times that of you and I, they can soar at high altitudes to hunt their prey.  Tolerant of mankind interaction, unless defending their nest, they have been found nesting in largely populated cities, such as New York.

 However, this peace was soon to be disturbed.  A retired detective had found the female red tail injured in the field, unable to fly. A flurry of phone calls came into Wild Kritters – other rehabbers, Sheriff Department and concerned residents – all looking for someone to help the injured bird.  Two of our volunteers went to assist the community.

 When they arrived, the retired detective had the female hawk already in a vented box.  He, his family, and others from the neighborhood were relieved to see help arrive.  As the volunteers were transferring her from the box to an appropriate carrier for transporting, they noticed a large cut on her back and neck.  Once back at Wild Kritters headquarters, the volunteers were able to clean the wound and get a closer look at it.  The wound was a large, very deep and opened one.

 Determining the hawk needed immediate veterinary care, she was transported to Dr. Wade in Lancaster for examination.  Dr. Wade’s diagnosis: the hawk had a broken clavicle and would need surgery; and indeed, the wound was infected.  She was also disturbed by the spots on the x-ray, indicating “those spots could be from a gun shot.”  Surgery was scheduled and MacGyver, our new name for the red tail, came back to Wild Kritters to recuperate.  

 MacGyver’s wound, once deep and infected, was now a long line of stitches and large bald spot. (And yes, the spots on the x-ray were from a gun shot.)  The wound would need cleaning, twice a day.  The location and extent of her injury required MacGyver to be kept in an enclosure that limited her from stretching her wings and tearing her stitches out.

 Six weeks later, MacGyver’s stitches are healed, leaving only the large bald spot.  She still cannot be taken outside.  Instead, a new indoor cage had to be built for her. (THANK YOU Fox Fence and Home Depot).  She will remain in this indoor cage, until the weather is a bit warmer and she is well enough to be transferred to an outdoor flight cage.  The flight cage will allow MacGyver to stretch her wings, building up her strength, allowing her to soar once again in the wild with her mate.

 Should it be determined that MacGyver cannot be returned to the wild, she will always have a home with Wild Kritters.  We will license and “adopt” her as one of our educational birds, providing her with whatever care she needs. 

SOPHIE

Our Little Storm Drain Survivor

 The neighborhood of Lasalle came together last spring when cries where heard coming from a storm drain.  One of the residents called Wild Kritters to investigate.  When our volunteers got to the location, they, too, heard the cries – the cries of baby raccoons.   Looking around, they discovered a mother raccoon dead in the road.  The babies had gotten into the storm drain. How? And how many? Neither question mattered. Our biggest concern and worst fear, how would we get them out?  This three-day adventure truly was a test of our volunteers’ creativity and patience

We couldn’t see into the storm pipes to know how many or where the babies were located. Knowing the mother was dead, the volunteers assumed the lil’ tykes hadn’t ate in a while. Perhaps a little food would coax them out.  Luring some tempting morsels of food down the sewer, one crying voice emerged from a pipe, coming close enough for our rehabilitator to capture him and bring him up to safety.  He was wet, cold, dehydrated and so very small.  His mouth was covered with black dirt, mud, and sewer.  He was having breathing difficulties and was immediately put into an incubator.   Further attempts to lure the remaining raccoons to safety failed; at least for today.

Day two
Our dedicated volunteers went back to the storm drain.  They knew that food alone would not bring out the remaining babies.  Desperate measures were called for if these babies were to be saved.  The volunteers took turns being suspended upside down into the sewer drain, held on by their feet and a belt, as they surveyed which of the four pipes the voice were echoing from; still trying to coax the hungry critters into the open long enough to rescue them. Success! Baby No. 2 peeked out of a pipe. The quick reflexes of our volunteer got a tight enough hold on baby to bring him to the surface.  He, too, had black soil and rock in his nose, mouth and lungs.  Small, cold and dehydrated, he was quickly put into an incubator.   But…..there was still one distant, cry echoing from the drain.  We still had work to do. Yet which of the four pipes was the cry coming from? The pipes were too small for our rehabilitators to crawl through.  We had to regroup, rethink and pray the baby raccoon would hold on. It was time for MacGyver!

MacGyver is our affection nickname for one of rehabilitators, Lori.  Just like MacGyver in the television series, Lori has the uncanny ability to solve what often seems as an “unsolvable problem” using common, everyday items.

Day three, the final episode.
Once again, our volunteers went back to the drain.  This time, however, we came “armed”.  MacGyver had created an extra long, extendable pole with a net at the end; all held together with duct tape.  Again the volunteers suspended themselves upside down into the sewer drain. Using the tool MacGyver created, we were finally able to reach deep enough into the fourth sewer pipe to net the last little voice from the dark – a female.  Like the others, “Sophie”, as we call her, was wet, dehydrated and covered with muck; requiring immediately medical attention.

Epilogue
All three babies were very sick and small.  Sophie survived her ordeal.  Unfortunately her brothers did not.  Sophie was too small and under nourished to be returned to the wild.  She spent the winter with an RVS licensed rehabilitator in an outdoor enclosure.  We are happy to say, Sophie is ready for release this March.

To the residents in Lasalle, we say “THANK YOU” for taking time to care for God’s creatures.

Did you know that raccoons eat mice and are part of nature’s clean-up crew? Without them, the environment would become unhealthy. Raccoons are also very clean animals and love the water. Yes, they do come out during the day.  It is on the nice days throughout the year, a raccoon can be seen playing and teaching their young how to hunt and find shelter.  So just because a raccoon is out during the day, doesn’t mean it is sick.