Fly-By Rescues
A MSU veterinarian rehabilitates some of Michigan's most powerful birds.
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Scruggs, a great horned owl, is a permanent resident of the Veterinary Medicine Clinic at Michigan State University because of a wing injury. Photo courtesy of Michigan United Conservation Clubs |
For each bird that has been rehabilitated by the Veterinary Medicine Clinic at Michigan State University, a story exists. Past the feathers and the beak and the wings, there lies a tale of animal rescue.
Uncle Cletus
There is Uncle Cletus, a female red-tailed hawk, that was brought to the clinic in 2002. The hawk suffered neurological damage from the West Nile virus. Weak and thin, the hawk remained at the clinic over the winter.
Veterinary students named the hawk Uncle Cletus.
Dr. Jim Sikarskie, who works at the clinic, said female birds of prey are generally larger than males which might explain Uncle Cletus’ masculine name. “It’s not a very good name,” Sikarskie said.
In 2003, veterinarians released Uncle Cletus on campus. The territorial animal remained close to the clinic.
Almost too close.
One day, a rehabilitated barred owl was released back into the wild. Uncle Cletus sat on the Wharton Center, directly across the street from the clinic, poised to claim an easy meal. The barred owl narrowly escaped the talons of Uncle Cletus. Two years later, there are still Uncle Cletus sightings around campus.
Steve Hufnagel frequently witnessed Uncle Cletus at the construction site on campus during the last few months. Hufnagel, superintendent of Granger Construction Co., said Uncle Cletus and another hawk perched together on top of the crane in front of Morrill Hall.
Sikarskie said Uncle Cletus’ companion was most likely her mate or one of her offspring.
Sikarskie also has received telephone calls from worried East Lansing residents about the hawk. Uncle Cletus has no fear of humans, which could be caused by lingering brain damage from the West Nile virus, Sikarskie said. People stood only five feet away from Uncle Cletus while the hawk sat on the ground calmly eating a rabbit. They called Sikarskie concerned that the hawk was mentally unsound.
“That’s just Uncle Cletus,” Sikarskie said. “Don’t worry about it.”
Scruggs
Then there is Scruggs, a great horned owl, with big woeful-looking eyes. Scruggs sits in the outdoor cages at the clinic with a drooped wing.
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Each year, Dr. Jim Sikarski rehabilitates hundreds of birds, including Scruggs. Photo courtesy of Michigan United Conservation Clubs |
“She’s just slightly cage possessive,” Holly Ross, a second-year veterinary student, said, pushing back her sleeves to reveal scars left over from Scruggs. Each month Scruggs lays eggs and becomes a moody owl.
Since Scruggs will never be released back into nature, the owl now serves as a live lesson to veterinary students like Ross. Students’ duties range from cleaning Scruggs’ cage to trimming her beak and toenails or recording the food she eats.
Sikarskie has been rehabilitating birds like Scruggs and Uncle Cletus since he began working in the clinic in 1975. Each year, he rehabilitates hundreds of birds.
Sikarskie’s Birds
Sikarskie’s success rate is one out of every three birds returned back to the wild. The remainder of the animals have such severe injuries that the birds must be euthanized to end their suffering or sent to zoos and nature centers. However, even the birds that are sent into captivity do not always survive. If they are too aggressive or nervous, Sikarskie said they are put to sleep.
Rehabilitating a bird is neither quick nor simple. The clinic receives half of its injured birds from the Department of Natural Resources. The other half comes from local people who have found a hurt animal.
After surgery, injured birds are taken to the intensive care cages. Anywhere from a few weeks to months later, depending on the severity, the injury heals, and veterinarians place the birds in smaller cages. Inside the clinic, two rooms contain a myriad of birds as diverse as a laboratory pigeon and a juvenile bald eagle. Brown paper covers the cage of jittery birds. Gradually, the larger birds in the inside cages are moved to outside flying pens for more exercise.
Sikarskie uses jesses, which look like a kite flyer with string wrapped around it, to test a bird’s flying ability. Hooks are strapped onto the bird’s legs so veterinarians can toss it into the air and unravel the string.
“When a bird wears out two veterinary students a day, it is ready to go,” Sikarskie said.
Veterinarians release rehabilitated birds either on campus or back to where they were found. Sikarskie said taking the bird back to the general area where it was picked up helps a bird that may already have a mate or know where to find food and shelter. Although Sikarskie said the most gratifying thing about his work is researching and finding new ways to help the general bird population, he recognizes the emotional aspect of his work.
“I enjoy watching the students get warm fuzzy feelings,” he said.
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