Help! There s a Fox OutsideDuring the Day! What Do I Do?

Transcription

1 Newsletter of the Wildlife Rescue League Spring 2005, Vol. 23, No.1 Help! There s a Fox OutsideDuring the Day! What Do I Do? by Erika Yery Pictures by Gary Oddi During January 2005, the WRL hotline received an unusually high number of calls about foxes suffering from sarcoptic mange; therefore, the time seems right to review how to treat this common and debilitating disease. If you or a neighbor or a friend see a fox with the behaviors described below, please call the hotline at to obtain the information and medicine required to help. Do You Observe Any V of These Behaviors? The fox is scratching, chewing or licking its skin. It has open sores or wounds. It has a bare tail, squinty eyes and/ or a crusty film over its mouth, eyes or nose. It moves slowly and often lies in one place for a long time. It appears thin, ragged and malnourished. It walks slowly with stiff movement of the hind legs. It is searching for food in daylight and close to humans; it does not appear to be afraid. Fact and Fiction about Foxes with Mange It is very common for individuals to believe that if they see a fox near their home, looking or acting sick, it must have rabies. 99% of the time, this is not the case. The animal almost always is suffering from mange, a debilitating condition that causes severe scratching, open sores and loss of hair. The good news is that it is easily treatable. Sarcoptic mange is caused by the mite sarcoptes scabiei. Mange mites burrow into the skin of the animal thereby causing the scratching, sores and fur loss. Mange is quite obvious in the late stages and nearly undetectable in the early stage. Animals become infected by contact with other animals or with contaminated areas such as dens or burrows. Sarcoptes scabiei has limited Continued on page 8 Rescue Report i WWW. WILDLIFERESCUELEAGUE. ORG Spring

2 From the Board 2005: A New Year Begins Rescue Report Wildlife Rescue League, P.O. Box 704, Falls Church, Virginia (703) wrl@wildliferescueleague.org Web: Wildlife Hotline: (703) Editor Linda Jasper Writer Holly Ross Haynes Contributors Dawn Davis Kathy Wilson Erika Yery Doug Brown Paula L. Rothman Distribution Jennifer Lagasca President Dawn Davis Vice President Steven Nunes Articles and photos published in Rescue Report are for the information of WRL members and do not necessarily reflect the views of WRL. All materials printed in Rescue Report are the intellectual property of WRL and may not be used without permission. Direct permission requests to: WRL Rescue Report, Attn: Editor, P.O. Box 704, Falls Church, VA Please send submissions to LndJasp@aol.com. Send scanned/digital images to allisonpang@cox.net. Only electronic files (articles) will be accepted. Electronic photos are preferred. Here we are, 2005! WRL is ready to start this year with a new Board of Directors who were elected at the December 2004 meeting. Please read the article entitled Thank You and Congratulations for more details. The best news is that the individuals who left the Board took up new roles and will continue to support WRL. Allison Pang, past Vice-president, will still be Webmaster; Charlene DeVol, past Member-at-large, will still order supplies for rehabilitators; Linda Jasper, also a past Member-at-large and past Volunteer Coordinator, is now Editor for Rescue Report.; and Kathy Wilson, another past Member-at-large, will stay on the Committee for Rehabilitator Education and, most importantly, will be rehabilitating birds full-time. As always we are in dire need of rehabilitators and volunteers. Please remember if you know somebody who is interested in being a rehabilitator, have them contact WRL. The administrative line is WRL also needs a Volunteer Coordinator, a Fundraising Chairperson and a Hotline Coordinator. Please read the article entitled Volunteers Needed. WRL will conduct a training class for new hotline volunteers on March 12, 2005, at the Mason Government Center. If you know someone interested in working on the hotline, please have them Linda Buie at Valerian75@aol.com. Check the website for further details. DAWN DAVIS President 2 Spring 2005 i Rescue Report

3 Becoming a Category I Apprentice Rehabilitator Many people who are interested in preserving wildlife would like to become more closely connected with wildlife. Becoming a rehabilitator definitely brings you closer to wildlife, but it is not for the faint of heart. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires a twoyear apprenticeship under a licensed rehabilitator. This is a period to find out if you really are ready for the commitment of being a fully-licensed rehabilitator. I will first explain the process of becoming an apprentice and then describe my chaotic life for the past two years. (I have a mockingbird making a racket in my ear as I type this. I guess he wants his blueberries.) To become an apprentice you need three things: a sponsor, a proper facility and a license. You also need to have rational expectations of what your life will be like if you rehab. You need to talk to other rehabilitators to find this out. If you start rehabilitating without finding out the demands of your particular animal, you will surely fail. Finding a sponsor is the first, and probably the most important, thing you need to do. Ask around call rehabilitators for recommendations. They don t necessarily need to do the animal you are interested in. The rehabbing community is fairly close, and they know who would be appropriate for you to ask. You should attempt to find someone who is located close enough so that you can take a suspicious animal over for her to examine. You should also attempt to find someone that you get along with easily. Most important: when you are accepted by a rehabilitator as an apprentice, you are agreeing to follow her advice. Her reputation is on the line as well as yours when you are apprenticing under her. You should also get to know the other rehabilitators for your particular animal. A good network is invaluable and necessary for those times when your sponsor is unavailable. And sometimes, if you re like me, you may ask someone else questions because you don t want to drive your own sponsor crazy. A by Kathy Wilson good sponsor will recommend another rehabilitator if she has more experience with a particular problem. In order to begin the licensing process, you contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). To apply for a permit, call Diane Waller at Inform her you want to apply for a Category I permit. She will send you the appropriate paperwork and then contact the game warden for your area. The game warden is expected to contact you within 30 days for a home inspection. The home inspection doesn t involve much he/she just wants to make sure you have a safe space for the wildlife you will be rehabbing and you understand the responsibilities of a rehabber. For my visit, the game warden visited what was to be my bird room. I had no cages in the room; they don t expect you to have everything when you get started. All I had was a bed, an old chair and a desk with 2 acrylic boxes on it (to use for baby birds). The game warden sat on the chair, and I sat on the bed. Here are some of the things she wanted to know: Did I have an area that was secure in the sense that the wildlife would be safe? That means no domestic animals or children could get into the room. Was there enough room to comfortably hold the species I wanted to rehabilitate? Did I have facilities to keep the area clean and supplied with fresh water as well as proper storage for food; your kitchen is appropriate. Could I dispose of animal wastes properly? Continued on page 7 Rescue Report i Spring

4 UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH PAT CHAMBERLAIN, REHABBER City Girl Moves to the Country Taken from Pat s 2004 Christmas Letter and adapted by Holly Ross Haynes, Staff Writer A widow, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Pat Chamberlain is a devoted and tireless VA Permit Category II-A Rehabber with the Wildlife Rescue League as well as other rehab organizations. Pat recently underwent a very dramatic and fast set of changes to her otherwise predictable and convenient world as a resident of Northern Virginia by moving from Fairfax City to Essex County. Pat shares below the impetus for the changes and the wonderful, synchronistic support the powers that be provided for her. The desires of her heart continue to become a reality. I had just turned 60 and was summing up how good my life was. I was particularly grateful that I decided in 2002 to stop doing daycare in my home as my source of income and took a job as a bus driver for the Fairfax County Public School System. I really liked it. Not only did I have more energy for rehabbing, I also had holidays and the entire summer off, good benefits and a nice salary. I even had time to take days trips and spend some time on the weekends at our Rappahannock river house, in Tappahannock. But I had a yearning to have even more time. I wanted to slow down and enjoy life, nature and rehabbing. Innocently enough, my daughter and I started talking about how nice it would be to live on the water. Our talks became more serious and in the spring of 2003, we started talking about actually moving. Although it took some deliberation, on July 2, 2004, I decided to put my home for the past 28 years in Fairfax City on the market. Three days later I had three contracts. I could not turn back now -- things were rolling! My head started to spin. How on earth could the four of us, three dogs (including Angel, my beloved Rottweiler), one cat (a feral one that lived in my yard for the past two years), four squirrels (long term rehab patients), and the 11 hamsters that I rescued from the Fairfax Animal Shelter ever fit into our small weekend house on the river? This house consisted of one bedroom and one bathroom. Of sheer necessity, the solution came fast, but it seemed to make so much sense: we decided to demolish our weekend house and build a modular home and garage in its place on the very same lot. After that decision, things moved even faster. I settled on my Fairfax City home on August 13, 2004, and had only 90 days to move. MOVE! But to where since the weekend house was being demolished. And oh yes, I needed a job: doing what and where and how? I used my limited computer skills to search for both a job and a temporary place for us all to live. This was going to be no small feat as I thought Essex County would have very limited choices. Miraculously and to my utter relief, the job came first. There was just one opening for a school bus driver. I applied, interviewed and landed the job. Then the next miracle happened: I found a doublewide modular home for sale on one acre, complete with a garage and a fenced in area off the covered back deck. It was owned by a couple whose children had grown and moved out, and they had kept it in excellent condition. I decided this would be a great place to live until our new river house was built. I put a contract on it in August and moved in the first weekend of September. I have always considered myself a country girl at heart, but I didn t know how jaded I had become living in Northern Virginia with all its big city benefits. I had taken for granted the convenience of all the huge malls, the different restaurants I could experience every night of the week, and the fact that I could run to my veterinarian any time during the day, just two blocks away. What s more, I really never appreciated the fact that a 7/11 could be found every 1/4 to 1/2 mile. I soon found out that a REAL country girl in Essex County has to learn to live without a 7/11. I have surveyed my new surroundings and discovered that there are malls and shops just one hour north in Fredericksburg or one hour southwest in Richmond. And really, it is not that bad considering that I live 10 minutes from the town of Tappahannock. On some of my trips to town I have discovered, to my delight, Tappahannock has many restaurants, stores, gift and antique shops from which to choose. 4 Spring 2005 i Rescue Report

5 As for my everyday surroundings, culture shock is putting it mildly. There are farms everywhere. Some are cattle and horse farms, but many are dedicated solely to growing corn and soybeans. I got a great deal of pleasure watching the harvest process through the window of my bus. I learned that much of the corn is sent to granaries for feed and sold to Mr. Perdue s chicken farms. Down here, farm equipment has the right of way, mostly because it uses two lanes of traffic. The first couple weeks as a bona fide resident, whenever I drove anywhere, I was startled that seemingly every car honked at me. I wondered what I was doing wrong, but I soon learned that drivers honk to say hi when they see some one they know. I just love the way everyone says hi when they pass you in a store or on the street. No one ever seems to be in any hurry--a skill I have always wanted to learn. Although I still have not completely figured out whom to call if I have an emergency -- the sheriff, the Tappahannock police or the state police (who spend a lot of time in town) -- I have found a wonderful veterinarian. I have plenty of potential patients down here, my specialty being small mammals (especially cottontails, squirrels, possums, chipmunks, mice, voles and moles). The cornfields are a big draw for these critters. In addition, I am being introduced to a completely new world of wildlife. In fact, I often get up close and personal with lots of them. It is common to see wild turkeys wandering around oblivious in the fields, my yard, and on the roads. More deer than I have ever seen graze in my yard and along the roads and in the fields. Red fox constantly hunt the mice that live in the yard. In addition, I see many owls, snakes and turtles. If only I had the time, I could make it a full time mission to drive around and help turtles cross the roads. In the spring and summer after a rain there are butterflies everywhere. It is a beautiful sight to drive down a county road with butterflies all over the roads. Turkey vultures are now among my favorite, and Essex County abounds with them. Not only are they very intelligent, but also amazing to watch in flight. They are so graceful and can soar for hours. When I watch them, it seem as though they are playing and actually enjoying being able to ride the air currents. On sunny days they sit in the trees with their wings spread to warm themselves. Some have a wing span of six feet. They seem to like open areas and dead trees, and it is a wonderful sight to see six to nine of them in one tree. The most beautiful creature I often encounter is the bald eagle. They are very common in this area along the Rappahannock River. I see them sitting atop telephone poles looking for prey. One day as I came down a road I could see something sitting on the edge of the road. I could tell from a distance that it was a bird, and as I got closer, I could see its white head. A bald eagle was having a stand off with my car over a roadside kill. As with many of the roads, the trees are tall and close to the roadside, so I knew I had to stop because eagles require a lot of space and wing flaps to make their rather laborious take off. If I had kept driving, we would have surely collided. When it started to take flight, I was very happy to have a windshield between us because, as it flew over the hood, I could see beady eyes, a scary beak and huge talons. We hope to be in our new home on the river this spring. The new garage will be air conditioned, insulated and exclusively for rehabbing. Gone are the days when all my patients were lined up on the book shelves of the family room and guest room of the Fairfax City house. I have visited here many, many times to enjoy the river fishing, boating and relaxing on the beach which I still love. I never knew what I was missing; now that I have slowed down and actually live here, I must have had blinders on. I am so excited to see what spring will be like. I am not going to drive bus this summer so I can be a beach bum and spend time fishing. Diane O Conner, who mans Erika Yery s Wildlife Refuge, is only a half hour away, and I plan to volunteer my assistance there. And those turkey vultures beckon me to learn even more about their care and rehabilitation. Life is good indeed! * * * * Pat Chamberlain has been a member of the WRL since Until her recent move, among the many committees she has chaired include: Wildlife Continuing Education, Cage Donation and Rehabilitators Support. She is particularly passionate supporting other rehabbers and keeps in contact with the Wildlife Center of Virginia. She attends the Wildlife Center s yearly conference, representing WRL with a table in the Exhibitor s Hall. Pat has been a WRL Board Member-at-Large for six years. Along with rehabber, Erika Yery, she is a member of the Rehabilitators Emergency Relief Committee and is helping the Volunteer Coordinator Committee until we can find someone else! In addition, she has worked with the WRL Hotline from its inception. Pat s incredible energy compels her to attend many conferences and classes all over Virginia and surrounding states, serving as an ambassador for WRL. Rescue Report i Spring

6 Thank You and Congratulations The following board of directors was elected at the December 2004 WRL meeting: President: Dawn Davis Vice-president: Steven Nunes Secretary: Laurie Quarles Treasurer: Sarah Ball At-large: Erika Yery, Pat Chamberlain, Jennifer Noonan, Paula Frechen, Sarah Frye The next time you see any of these people, please say congratulations and thank them for their willingness to devote time and energy to the success of WRL by serving on the board. Also thank Allison Pang, outgoing vice-president, and Charlene DeVol, Kathy Wilson and Linda Jasper, outgoing at-large members for their past devotion. Thank you also to Jennifer Connors for editing Rescue Report. After three successful years as editor, Jennifer decided to devote her attention to other WRL matters; she will continue as the Fur and Fabric Donations Chair. And the Winner is... Mrs. Verena Levine ( com) donated a one-of-a-kind, handmade, beautiful quilt to WRL for fundraising. Mrs. Levine was present at our December 2004 quarterly membership meeting to draw the winning number, and Lucinda Meehan, long time WRL member and volunteer, won!!!! CONGRATULATIONS, LUCINDA. Mrs. Levine signed two posters featuring her quilt and drew names of the winners. Kathy Frechen of Seal Beach, CA, (sister of new Executive Board member, Paula Frechen) and Mary Mason of Oak Hill, VA, won the signed posters. Don Chernoff a local wildlife photographer ( donated one of his 2005 date books, which Barney Squiers won. WRL wishes to sincerely thank Mrs. Levine and Mr. Chernoff for thinking of WRL and donating their incredible art. Support the WRL! Hotline Appreciation Lunch Calling all hotline volunteers and rehabbers to attend the second annual Hotline Appreciation Lunch on April 2, 12-3 pm, Mason Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale. WRL will furnish the food probably a repeat of the very popular Panera Bread sandwiches from last year. Bring your appetites and your comments, both positive and negative, to the event. Last year we had an excellent turnout and exchange of information; let s make it a repeat performance. Mark your calendar now. 6 Spring 2005 i Rescue Report

7 Apprentce Rehabber Continued from page 3 What about medical issues (drugs, veterinarians, etc)? The answer to this is I go to my sponsor for those problems, because, according to Virginia law, Category I rehabilitators work mostly with healthy wildlife. This means you will mostly deal with orphaned babies and juveniles. It s handy to know a veterinarian, though, in case an emergency arises. Here are some other things you will be expected to know: Do you understand the law? When you ask for the rehabilitator s license form, VDGIF will send you the rules for rehabilitators as well as information about proper caging. Anyone working with indigenous wildlife must have a rehabilitator s license. The wildlife should be returned to the wild as quickly as possible. If you are working with birds, your sponsor also needs a Federal permit issued by US Fish and Wildlife. You are under her license while you are an apprentice. You must submit an annual report on the wildlife you cared for. This can be completed in conjunction with your sponsor while you are a Category I, but you must still keep records on each animal. You must have six hours of continuing education each year. You cannot display or exhibit the wildlife. You must seek help when there is a problem beyond your level of expertise. That is what your sponsor is for.. The game warden wants more responsible rehabilitators who will care for an animal properly and get that animal back into the wild. Feel free to ask the game warden questions. If you don t know the answer to a question, the game warden will help you understand the answer. A caveat here not all game wardens are the same. The one I dealt with was very kind and supportive, but I can t promise that all will be. I was also asked what I would do with birds that had recovered to the point they needed a flight cage. My answer was that if I didn t have a proper flight cage by the time one was needed, I would transfer the birds to someone who did. The game warden does not expect you to have a full-up facility. He/she knows that you will get the appropriate caging in time. He/she just wants to be sure that the best is being done for the wildlife. The game warden sent her OK to VDGIF, and shortly thereafter I got my Category I Apprentice Rehabilitator license. Now the fun could begin. Stay tuned for the next chapter of Kathy s adventures as an apprentice, which will appear in the summer Rescue Report. Mark Your Calendar Now WRL Membership Meetings March 5, 2005; 11 am; John Marshall Library, 6209 Rose Hill Drive, Alexandria, VA Speaker: Caroline Seitz of Reptiles Alive! will speak on Reptile Encounters. June 4, 2005; 11 am; Mason District Government Building, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA September 10, 2005; 11 am; Mason District Government Building, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA December 3, 2005; 11 am; Mason District Government Building, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA Rescue Report Newsletter Schedule Spring: March 2005; deadline for submission of articles, February 1 Summer: June 2005; deadline for articles, May 1 Fall: September 2005; deadline for articles, August 1 Winter: December 2005, deadline for, November 1 Rescue Report i Spring

8 Foxes...Continued from page 1 implications for human health; occasionally rehabilitators who handle mange-infested foxes, coyotes or other wildlife have reported severe itching. Information to help you Understand an Animal with Mange The animal is very weak due to its inability to hunt for food. They are tired and suffer from constant itching and burning sensations. Because they must eat, they will venture close to homes looking for food. Pet food left outside is a frequent choice. The fox will not attack cats, dogs or children. Even under normal circumstances it is not aggressive. It will react, however, it you try to capture it. Foxes do not want to reside in your area permanently. If treated and allowed to recover, they will move on. Don t attempt to capture the animal. Provide the animal food and water, preferably in a safe, quiet area. When treating it for mange, allow it to rest and heal where you can monitor its progress. Keep this information available for ready reference. Treatment Sarcoptic mange can be successfully treated with Ivermectin, a sterile solution for the treatment and control of various worms, sucking live and mange mites. Because there is a danger of overdose, it should not be administered without the advice and help of a wildlife rehabilitator. In short, the fox will need two treatments to kill the mites and their eggs. The itching will stop soon, and the animal will feel better. The damaged skin and fur will slough off and be replaced by new healthy skin and fur. If the fox does not get both doses, the treatment must be repeated. If another animal, such as a cat or dog or other wildlife, get the Ivermectin instead of the fox, it will not hurt the animal. One common concern is that the animal will stay in the area. Unless it is a resident fox one that lived in the area before and was fed by the caller all along a cured fox, feeling foxy, seldom stays after treatment is complete and it is able to hunt again. How can you help? Stay calm and remember you are not in an unsafe situation. Call the WRL hotline at You will be placed in contact with someone that will help you. Curing mange-infested foxes is truly rewarding and promotes a feeling of being directly responsible for saving a life. It is an enriching and educational experience. If you see a mangy fox, don t let it suffer. Call WRL and save a life. 8 Spring 2005 i Rescue Report

9 Volunteers Needed WRL has three important positions that are currently vacant and need immediate filling. If you could find the time to volunteer for one of these, please contact Dawn Davis, WRL President, at (w) or (c). Fundraising Committee Chairperson This committee is responsible for thinking of ways to raise money to support WRL goals and activities and for organizing these efforts, which may be formal or informal. Formal fundraising consists of applying for grants from Federal, state and local governments; applying for grants from foundations; and writing letters to the membership and area shelters seeking donations. Informal fundraising can include yard sales, auctions at membership meetings, gift wrapping at the holidays, placing donation cans at bird seed or pet supply stores and any other creative ideas. Hotline Coordinator The hotline committee consists of four sections: Hotline Coordinator, Hotline Scheduler, Data Manager, and Transport Coordinator. We are in need of a hotline coordinator whose duties will include:: 1) giving the hotline training class at least twice annually; 2) updating the hotline manual every two years; 3) updating the appendices to the hotline manual annually lists of rehabbers on the hotline, shelters, and out-of-area rehabbers; 4) recruiting new hotline volunteers; 5) building rapport with rehabbers and shelter managers; 6) holding an annual meeting with the hotline volunteers; and 7) problem-solving for hotlines volunteers and rehabilitators. Volunteer Committee Chairperson This committee is responsible for actively soliciting volunteers, answering the WRL administrative line and either responding to calls or redirecting them to the appropriate WRL board or committee member and organizing one or more events annually to promote collegiality and thank volunteers for all their work. Hotline Data for 2004 WRL s hotline volunteers have completed another extraordinary year. The total number of calls logged in the hotline database for 2004 was 1,915. This number is much smaller about one/fifth -- of the total number of call units charged to the WRL hotline voice mail system, the difference being that many hotline call sheets are not forwarded to the data manager for inputting into the database. Therefore, the total number of calls to the WRL hotline in 2004 was probably circa The highest number of calls was received in the spring and summer. The monthly average of logged calls was 159, with June receiving the highest at 398. WRL retains call data on three specific areas: type of animal, the situation, and the resolution. Type of Animal: The highest number of logged calls was 926 for songbirds; other logged calls about birds were 99 for waterfowl, 58 for raptors, and 24 for corvines (crows and jays). Mammals were the subject of 697 logged calls, and reptiles represented 58 of the logged calls. The remaining 53 of the 1,915 total were other or unknown.. Situation: Injured animals composed 789 of the total number of logged calls in There were 540 calls about orphaned animals, and 31 about wild animals that had been attacked, usually by domestic animals. Nuisance animals (e.g., a raccoon using the cat door, animals under a porch) accounted for 257 logged calls. The remaining 298 were other or unknown. Resolution: Of the 1,915 logged calls, 980 (over half) were referred to rehabbers. Eighty-one callers were referred to a shelter and 31 were referred to a veterinarian. Hotline volunteers gave advice on exactly 500 calls, plus 17 callers were instructed to watch the animal and call back if necessary. There were 32 animals that died upon arrival and three that died in transit. Calls that did not fall into a common category and were classified as other or left message totaled 271. These calls were situations such as someone needing transport from a shelter to a rehabber or someone wanting rehabber license information. Doug Brown Rescue Report i Spring

10 Score One for the Birds: The Tale of Pale Male and Lola As most of you know by now, the red-tailed hawk known as Pale Male (named for his unusual white feathers) and his current mate, Lola, were evicted in early December 2004 from their nest at 927 Fifth Avenue, NYC. This apartment house for the super rich near Central Park is managed by Brown Harris Stevens Company, a prominent Manhattan real estate firm. The firm provided several reasons for the eviction: 1) Although a confessed birdwatcher, Brown Harris Stevens said he became annoyed by the ooos and ahhhs from the constant crowd of birdwatchers; 2) some apartment owners complained that carcasses of rats and pigeons were occasionally tossed from the nest and constituted a safety hazard, and 3) an engineer hired by the co-op board said that the 200 lb nest was causing the building s facade to crumble, and this caused a risk to pedestrians walking below. The hero in this war with the building co-op board was Lincoln Karim, a 43-year-old Trinidadian immigrant (don t ever think one person can t make a difference!). He is so enamored with these particular hawks that he has shot over 800 hours of videotape since 1993, with increasingly more sophisticated camera equipment (website is Palemale.com). He even lost his job as a video engineer with AP Television and was jailed due to picketing and chanting with a group of other Pale Male fans. His jailing occurred because he allegedly scared the young son of CNN anchor Paula Zahn as he walked into the building with his nanny, where he lives with his parents. Paula Zahn s husband is the head of the co-op board; Ms Zahn offered no comments on the hawks plight. Mary Tyler Moore, another building resident and one who supported leaving the hawks nest alone, bailed Mr. Karim out of jail. He had to agree to stay 1000 feet away from the building. Other Pale Male supporters, in addition to chanting and almost causing a riot, sent over 200 s from all over the world to Aaron Schmulewitz, the co-op s lawyer, some containing death threats. WRL s own Christie Huffman, licensed wildlife rehabilitator, was at the site during the protests and was interviewed by a New York Post reporter. Due to the public outrage at the eviction of the hawks, one week later the co-op board agreed to let Pale Male and Lola rebuild their nest. The spikes that had anchored the nest were restored and a protective guard erected. E.J. McAdams, executive director of the by Paula L. Rothman NYC Audubon Society, expressed confidence that the hawks would return. Indeed, the hawks have been seen flying around and landing on the site, but it must be daunting for Pale Male to rebuild a nest that has taken him 11 years of tweaking to get just the way he wanted. The Known History of Pale Male s Mates First Love, injured in a collision and taken to the Raptor Trust for rehabilitation. Chocolate, found dead on the New Jersey Turnpike in First Love, returned from rehab but then ate a poisoned pigeon and was found dead near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Blue, found dead at Madison Avenue and 78th Street from unknown cause. Lola, presently reigns as Pale Male s mate. With the fledging of Lola and Pale Male s three chicks in 2004, the total number of successful fledges is 25. Alas, one of the three was found dead, probably due to concussion, a week after fledging. General Information About Red-tailed Hawks Female red-tailed hawks generally lay two-three eggs. The incubation period is days, and fledging requires another days. The male red-tailed hawk is significantly smaller than the female. Redtailed hawks are not endangered; in fact they are the most abundant hawk in the United States. Few birds are more adaptable than red-tails. They will eat virtually anything, e.g., carrion, skunks, cats, lizards, toads, turtles, rattlesnakes, and pigeons (their staple in NYC). Scientists believe that Pale Male took up residence at 927 Fifth Avenue due to its proximity to Central Park, which is one of the United States 14 great bird watching locales. In some years, the bird counts have tallied 100 different species. Rarely seen birds such as the Connecticut Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat have been found there. Many types of hawks live in NYC in addition to the red-tailed; for example, Harriers, Cooper s, and Sharp shinned, plus Merlin and Peregrine Falcons. Rescue Report i Spring

11 Spring Membership Meeting Saturday, March 5, :00 am - 1:00 pm Speaker: Caroline Seitz of Reptiles Alive! will speak on Reptile Encounters John Marshall Library 6209 Rose Hill Drive Alexandria, VA About WRL The Wildlife Rescue League is a non-profit organization providing care for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife in order to return them to the wild. Our licensed rehabilitators in Virginia and Maryland work with animal shelters, humane societies, wildlife groups, nature centers and veterinary hospitals to provide care to creatures in need. WRL operates a wildlife hotline in the Northern Virginia and surrounding areas to assist the public in obtaining information and assistance in locating a wildlife rehabilitator. WRL is committed to educating the public about the natural history of native wildlife, co-existing with it and preventing the need for wildlife rehabilitation. We provide brochures, educational materials and educational programs to suit individual needs. WRL welcomes all who support the preservation of wildlife as volunteers and/or members. For more information about WRL, volunteer opportunities, or to arrange for a program, us at wrl@wildliferescueleague.org, call (703) , or visit Wildlife Rescue League P.O. Box 704 Falls Church, VA Address Service Requested Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage Paid Merrifield, VA Permit #2461 This earth-friendly publication is printed on recycled paper using soy ink. 12 Spring 2005 i Rescue Report