Paws 'N Claws
News from All Things Wild Rehabilitation, Inc.
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What's in this issue:
Strikes and Stinkers
A Domain for a Little Orphan
One ATW Rehabber
Interested in Volunteering?
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Strikes and Stinkers
Want to have a fun afternoon?
Saturday, June 19, 1-3 PM
Mel's Lonestar Lanes, Georgetown
It’s not too late to sign up for a super afternoon having fun and raising some much-needed money for the animals in rehabilitation at All Things Wild.
Please join us for an enjoyable hour and a half of unlimited bowling for all skill levels. And, don't forget, June 19 is the day before Father’s Day (hint, hint) .
- Meet and greet with ambassador animals
- Chance to win door prizes
- Private bowling lane
- Bowling shoes and ball rental included
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Want to join us but need a group to bowl with?
We have some single tickets available for $20 per bowler and will group players by skill whether you just want to have fun or throw some serious competition.
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A Domain for A Little Orphan
This nestling bird was found recently at The Domain.
One day this past week, a nice couple was strolling down a street at The Domain, an area of upscale shops, restaurants, and apartments in Austin, where they encountered a little bird on the pavement. The bird ran up to them chipping hungrily. Unable to fly and looking very helpless, it was obvious the bird had fallen out of a nest. Looking up, the couple saw a nest high up in a nearby tree, much too high to get the baby back home again. So what to do?
They called All Things Wild and told us they had a baby Quaker parrot. Quaker parrots, also called monk parakeets, live in large wild colonies throughout Central Texas and as far north as New York City and Chicago. They are not native to this hemisphere so began their life in the wild as escaped pets. The reason they have been so successful is because they can tolerate the cold and adapt well to urban areas. For more information on Quaker parrots, click here.
Quaker parrot
By the time the couple and the baby bird arrived at our rehabilitation center, the couple had concluded the bird was not a parrot but a raptor. And they were right. But what kind of raptor? We identified the baby as an American kestrel, a small but beautiful raptor. The American kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon. They are cavity nesters, which means they build nests in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up by helpful people.
Kestrels eat mostly insects, small rodents, and birds. Their ability to see ultra-violet light enables them to see trails of urine left by rodents and small mammals, helping them locate their prey. Many birds can see ultra-violet light, but humans can't!
An adult American kestrel.
For more information on the American kestrel, click here.
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One ATW Rehabber’s Initiation
By Ann Hagmann
On Friday June 30, 2017, I pulled up in front of Office Depot in Georgetown and watched a baby green heron immediately step off a dirt mound and go under my car. My heart was very tender at the time because my beloved 13-year-old chihuahua had just died on Monday. I wasn’t leaving this bird to die no matter what it took! By and through my tears for this little bird, I got help catching him. A woman from Petsmart gave me a cage, water, and some fish (she also told me another heron had died earlier), and I convinced a friend to come pick us up and drive us to a home-based wildlife rehabilitator. It was now almost 5pm on a Friday.
The moment I stepped into the rehabilitator’s living room to bring him the heron, I was overwhelmed with the number of animals and the needs. It was unbelievable. There wasn’t a physical space to add another cage or container to the room. The man had an exhausted looking wife and one helper. All the time I was there he was nursing two racoons at a time, one under each arm. I wanted to be able to help him but was powerless to do so at the time. Little did I know that later that year my mobility would be hampered for life, and I would have to stop work.
I’ve always been crazy about animals. The existence of this rehabilitator let me know that maybe someday I could help a wildlife rehabilitator. In early 2019 my prayer was answered when I saw The Sun’s article on All Things Wild Rehabilitation’s opening. My biggest animal loving friend and I became volunteers, and on our first workday with joy we learned to potty opossums. How adorable they were!! How proud we were!
One day I noticed a little squirrel all by herself in a small cage. She was standing at the cage door just looking at me and shivering. Since she was by herself, I asked the staff if I could take her out and spend some time with her. They said yes, so I got the little one out and fell in love! I offered her some food and after getting some in her, she nuzzled around my arm until she found a spot by my elbow where she promptly went to sleep. From start to finish I probably spent close to an hour and a half with her. The little one needed some living contact and “Momma love.” Unfortunately, my living situation doesn’t allow me to bring any animals home to care for them or I would have taken the little squirrel home. But regardless I was hooked, so the next two days I came out to care for her and give her special one-on-one time. Each day I spent less time and by day 3 she was thriving, and I stopped making special visits.
I was thrilled to be a part of her rehab. I was and am thrilled and overjoyed to be a part of ATW. The animals are wonderful and so are the people! I’ve been extremely impressed with the young people - it makes me hopeful for the future. I am very grateful to the long-time rehabbers who formed ATW. Also, to our wonderful techs like Amber and Kaela who I have worked with. Thank you to everyone for all that you have done and are doing, and for my getting to be a small part of ATW.
About the Author: The Rev Dr Ann Hagmann, a retired pastor and hospice chaplain, has been a faithful ATW volunteer since we opened in March 2019.
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Interested in Volunteering?
But only if you like to clean!
The volunteer application at our website is currently closed. We do need volunteers at this time but only a special kind of volunteer. With the rehabilitation center crazy busy with hundreds of orphaned and injured animals, we need volunteers who are willing to help with the washing of animal food dishes, doing the laundry, sweeping and mopping, and generally keeping the center clean and organized. This will free up the animal care experts on the staff to spend more quality time caring for the animals.
The sink in the food prep area is always full of dirty dishes.
We understand everyone wants to work with the animals. But, at this time, you can help the animals the most by taking care of the maintenance chores while the staff cares for the animals. If you like volunteering at All Things Wild and when things calm down later in the summer, there will be time for the staff to train you on caring for the animals.
Laundry piles up quickly, and the washer and dryer run almost all day.
So, if you are interested in becoming a “cleaning” volunteer during this really busy time, send us an email at allthingswildrehab@gmail.com. We will respond and set up a time for you to come to the center.
Thank you from the staff and the animals at All Things Wild for rolling up your sleeves and helping keep the center clean.
Baby animals, particularly baby raccoons, make a terrible mess.
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