Call of the wild a labor of love for some dedicated Ohioans
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 These four red-tailed hawks in a Back to the Wild fly-cage are awaiting release. |
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| View of Back to the Wild Nature Center. |
At some time or another, most of us have encountered an injured animal. Perhaps it was a songbird that had flown into a window or a nest of rabbits disturbed by the neighborhood cat. Instinctively, we want to do something, but what? Fortunately, help is often just a phone call away, thanks to a group of dedicated professionals known as wildlife rehabilitators.
If you call Lake County Metroparks Wildlife Center about a bird hitting your window, Maggie Wright will likely suggests monitoring it for about an hour before doing anything. Many times window strikes simply stun birds, she says. “Often all they need is time to shake themselves out of it before flying away unharmed.” On the other hand, if the bird is indeed hurt, Wright will tell you how to safely transport it to their wildlife center in Kirtland for treatment.
The goal of a wildlife rehabilitator is to return injured and orphaned animals back to the wild. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t. Not every animal can be saved and not every creature becomes healthy enough to go back to its original habitat. Some that survive, but cannot be released due to their injuries, may become part of authorized educational programs.
Each day is different for a wildlife rehabilitator. Telephone calls range from what to do about a nest of bunnies in the yard (leave them alone, the mother is nearby and has not abandoned them), to pet snakes getting loose in the house. Meanwhile, injured or orphaned wildlife are brought unexpectedly to the doorstep.
Mona Rutger, a rehabilitator near Sandusky, is no stranger to either late night calls or unannounced animal drop-offs. On Valentine’s Day eight years ago, she received a 5 a.m. wakeup call by a Highway Patrol officer, who stood at her front door cupping a small northern saw-whet owl, which had flown into his windshield. With her sleepy, but well-trained eyes, Rutger was just barely able to detect the rise and fall of the injured bird’s chest.
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| This green-backed heron is a permanent resident at Back to the Wild due to a wing injury. |
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| One of the outdoor wildlife pens at Back to the Wild. |
Thanks to her expertise, the owl survived, although it was blinded in one eye and could not be released back to the wild. Today, it perches inside her nature center, and is one of several birds she uses in her wildlife education program.
Anyone who thinks caring for Ohio’s injured and orphaned wildlife is fun or glamorous should think again, says Rutger. On any given day, she and her husband Bill care for between 130 to 150 wild animals some are permanent residents used for educational program purposes, while others are being prepared for release. Permanent and temporary inhabitants range from flying squirrels and screech owls to American bald eagles and bobcats.
During my tour of Rutger’s rehabilitation center, Back to the Wild, I observed a grocery cart filled with some uncommon “food” items: plastic bags of frozen white rats. Rutger informed me she was thawing that night’s dinner for the various birds of prey and other carnivores at her facility. She said they go through about 240 rats and mice every day.
According to Rutger, an orphaned killdeer a bird which eats only live food costs Back to the Wild about $35 during a three-week stay. An injured hawk may cost a minimum of $100 for a four-week period, while an orphaned fawn’s three-month stay will cost about $90.
“This job has me going nearly 24 hours a day. It’s crazy, but there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing,” says Rutger. Her motivation is a life-long love for wildlife and belief that there’s a moral obligation to give injured wildlife a second chance.
For many wildlife rehabilitators, the job doesn’t stop at treating and releasing injured wildlife. They also educate the public about Ohio’s native animals and habitat conservation. Between the field trips to her facility and off-site education programs, Rutger reached out last year to more than 48,000 school children and adults.
This labor of love for wildlife takes more than desire. First, it’s against the law to keep or treat a wild animal without the proper permits from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Second, in addition to being on-call 24-7, most wildlife rehabilitators run their operations on shoestring budgets that are heavily dependent on donations. They also are always in need of good volunteers, and must maintain detailed records on each animal they receive to remain in good standing with state and federal licensing agencies.
One thing any rehabilitator will tell you is that wildlife is just that wild. “They are not meant to be kept as pets,” stresses Lake Metroparks’ Wright, adding that wild animals derive no comfort from being petted or cuddled. “It’s just not part of their nature.”
If you find an injured or orphaned wild animal it is important to know who to contact. For a list of licensed Ohio wildlife rehabilitators visit ohiodnr.com, or call your local wildlife office for a referral.