Ask the ExecDir of nonprofit wildlife care facility

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Last quarter, approximately 11% of our incoming patients belonged to “Listed” species. The Fed uses categories like Endangered and Threatened, but Florida identifies Imperiled species. Our statistic includes both.

US Fish & Wildlife Service regulates “migratory birds” (species native to North America) under the Lacey Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and several other authorities. Our possession of all live birds, parts of dead birds (including feathers), nests, eggs, etc. are controlled by USF&WS. Feathers of certain species are highly sought after and can command a steep price on the illegal market, and the Fed is diligent about enforcement. Especially prized are both eagles, some hawks, but also species you might not have considered, like the Anhinga.

We are permitted to possess a limited number of feathers, either molted or from dead birds that are legally in our possession, for “imping”. This is basically replacing some broken flight feathers on an otherwise intact bird by gluing in similar feathers as substitutes for the broken ones. These should last until the bird naturally molts and replaces the entire feather, but in the meantime the bird could be released rather than holding it until the molt.

Otherwise, all feathers we collect are required to be destroyed on site (stripping the barbules from the shaft is sufficient) or actually shipped intact to either the National Eagle Repository or the new National Non-Eagle Feather Repository. Native Americans are not allowed to collect feathers or other parts for ceremonial purposes themselves, but must apply to these institutions to obtain them. Eagle carcasses must also be shipped, intact, to the repository.

Relevant interesting story? We once had a volunteer who the Fed had reason to suspect was trafficking in illegal feathers. We set him up with a big, bright white bald eagle tail feather in the enclosure we directed him to clean. When he was finished we inspected the garbage bag he had used – no feather. We checked the enclosure – no feather. So he was confronted, and the feather was found in his sock. The Fed obtained a warrant to search his house and found feathers worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market. Some few were probably from our facility. The rest were from (he claimed) road kills, but the law allows no dispensation for that because there is no way to differentiate feathers from a road killed bird from those of a gunshot bird.

22

Captain and Coke.

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When I was little, we lived in a semi-rural suburban neighborhood - a decent smattering of full lots, a bunch of empty halves and quarters, and backed up into a saltmarsh with lots of “islands.”

Therefore - many lots of animals, birds particularly. As a child, I collected ALL sorts of bird bits. Loose feathers, some just lying in the woods, some still attached to carcasses… egg fragments, or unhatched fallen eggs, a few bird skulls and entire wings from bird-cat encounters, nests that had fallen after hurricanes or big summer storms… I loved finding the bits, and trying to figure out (before Google) what birds they were from, or what killed them (if they were dead)., figuring out how to dry or preserve them so they weren’t dangerous or decomposing…

Now I’ve discovered that is all pretty much totally illegal.

How hard is it to get a permit that lets you have a hobby collection of various feathers, bird bits, broken or unhatched eggs, nests, and whatnot? Is it even possible any more? Are they likely to care if you’re just getting bits and pieces for study, or is this aimed specifically towards people like your eagle-feather stealing ex-employee? This was such a lovely part of my childhood, and I have thoughts of wandering the woods with my own child (if I ever have one) and doing likewise - but I don’t want to break laws to do it.

24

Allowable use of Coke.

25

Lasciel, if I can make a suggestion: take photos of the traces you find. There’s nothing to stop you picking up and examining your findings in situ, it’s just frowned upon to remove them. The photos you take can form the basis of your research, and the materials stay where they are. You could even extend your hobby to include tracks and scat, set up nest boxes with IR cameras, or even game cameras or camera traps. Lots of great, non-invasive ways of studying nature!

26

The amount of money dedicated to animal health and welfare is minuscule compared to that donated to health and welfare services.

CannyDan, what are your primary sources of funding? Grants, donations, memberships, other fundraising efforts?

27

USFWS does authorize “salvage” as one permit category. However, possession permits typically require justification beyond personal interest. Acceptable justifications include “benefit of the animals” (perhaps for a researcher) or “for the public good” (as for teachers or others who might use the parts educationally). araminty offers some great ideas that don’t require permitting.

The Fed is not likely to prosecute somebody who just has a few bits and pieces and doesn’t commercialize the endeavor. You could probably go for years without incident, picking up odd objects of avian origin. But I am not suggesting you do so, because you’ll never know when some over-zealous enforcement officer of any jurisdiction takes it upon him/herself to be your personal nightmare.

There’s a story, possibly true, that during the Clinton administration some woman found a feather in a local park and made it up into a faux “dreamcatcher” then sent it as a gift to the First Lady. Of course all gifts are screened, and this one ended up with USFWS for analysis. The feather was identified as coming from a native hawk. Supposedly the woman was arrested for violation of several of those laws I mentioned, but the public uproar over the stupidity of such enforcement caused her to be released, with an apology. Still, the letter of the law supports the arrest.

Tri Polar, glad you concur :D.

Gangster, most funds derive from memberships and other donations, and fund raising events. We do a fancy golf tournament at a prestigious private club in May, and our signature event *The Owl’s Howl Halloween Ghoula *dinner/dance/party in October plus smaller events in between. Grants are few these days. Keeping the doors open is the largest – and the hardest – part of my job.

28
  1. Got any gators?
  2. What causes of bird injuries to you see often?
  3. Is your goal always eventual release? Are there many animals which can never be released?
  4. What is the point in caring for an injured python?

I visited the Miami Zoo, back in the 90s, post Andrew I think. They were caring for several injured birds at the time. Are you associated?

29

1- Got gators. Want some? I’d have to check inventory, but I think we have six. The largest is 4+ feet, that being about all you want to carry into a school classroom. All are used for display and education. When they get too big we swap them for smaller ones at a cooperative commercial alligator farm. And right now we have a single American Crocodile, also an educational tool. These are harder to obtain. We signed up as ‘potential receivers’ with Florida Fish & Wildlife for crocodiles up for placement. A few months ago they called to offer me one. I turned it down because 9 feet was a bit much for our present housing capabilities.

2- Birds get hit by cars, fly into obstructions like guy wires or glass windows, electrocute themselves on power lines, or incur fishhook and fishing line related injuries. I once kept a gallon jar full of various impedimentia we removed from pelicans. We could have refilled it with new crap about once every month or two. Presenting causes not injury related are poisoning (pesticides or household chemicals mostly) and migration-related starvation.

3- The goal is always release. Some of our failures can become educational tools. However, some species in general and many individuals in particular cannot make a successful transition to perpetual captivity. Stress alone causes immunosuppression and non-flighted birds are almost always under stress. Their most powerful natural instinct, to fly, is constantly thwarted. Even when we might save a life, the quality of that life must be our primary concern.

4- None, usually. Exotics that are desired by educational institutions will be maintained by us if possible and if placement is available. Nobody needs another Burmese python.

I lived in South Miami near University of Miami during Andrew and had friends and colleagues at Miami Metrozoo. Right now one of our female Indigo snakes is there on breeding loan. After Andrew I did a lot of work rescuing, and also in some instances euthanizing, native wildlife, exotic wildlife, and domestic stock. All kinds of stuff was released when cages and buildings were blown apart including some 1,000 or two Rhesus macaques, a hundred or more cobras of several species, horses, dogs, goats, birds from Metrozoo’s giant then-brand-new aviary, and I don’t remember what else. Frankly it was horrible. One memorably l-o-o-o-n-g night involved a European Red Stag, probably from a private collection, the Sheriff’s Department helicopter with one of the first locally installed Forward Looking Infra Red devices (FLIR), and me and my trusty pump-up tranquilizer dart rifle. I didn’t have darts of sufficient volume to drop him with one dose, so the copter would radio to the cop at my elbow the location of the 500 pound stag, found using the FLIR. I’d sneak up and dart it, then it would run off. By the time we found it again and snuck close enough for another dart, the first dose would be wearing off. Lather, rinse, repeat all night until the copter ran low on fuel. We never did find the stag again, but he must have had a hell of a headache that morning. Probably some of the guys in Homestead area living under the rubble of their destroyed houses and guarding their pathetic remaining personal goods from the looters shot it for BBQ.

30

This question may not be of general interest, but I’m curious, so I’ll ask. When I used to venture into Florida on reptile-hunting trips in the 70s and early 80s, there were a few exotic or introduced reptiles and amphibians in Florida: horned lizards near Jacksonville, iguanas, brown anoles, Mediterranean geckos down south, and a few Caribbean frogs plus cane toads. Besides caymans and the notorious burmese python infestation, what other species seem to have breeding populations in south Florida these days?

31

Ahh, those were the days! Native species in abundance, exotic species rare enough to be remarkable. Today you won’t recognize the place.

Well, that isn’t true, but we sure do host a variety of non-native species. The Fish & Wildlife Commission has a reasonably accurate list. Here is a linkto the reptiles. At least 35 species are established, lots more are at least present. You can click out further and see the established birds, invertebrates, mammals, etc. And when it comes to plants – well, we are a tropical paradise.

32

And Monk Parrots, budgerigars, etc?

33

To facilitate your examination, here’s the link.

Budgies ain’t the fraction of it :).

34

Thanks! Way cool. You guys and your near-tropical environments. . .

35

Yeah, tell me that now and I’ll be the first to agree. But catch me next August about 4pm when the temperature hovers near 94, the afternoon thunderstorm has just ended, and the humidity is visibly rising from the ground at 100%.

But still, it beats having all that frozen water piled up around houses and cars like I see in pictures from my relatives “up north”. Don’t tell anyone though; we’ve got enough invasive exotics here already ;):D.

36

What about tigers?

37

Indeed, what about tigers?

I have not worked extensively with any of the great cats. My specialty is wildlife native to Florida, so I have experience with bobcats. I also have considerable experience with reptiles, both native and exotic, venomous and not.

I have had some contact with big cats, but not for sustained periods or for training them. Mostly I’ve tranquilized them “in the field” as it were.

Once upon a time in the old Miami days of cocaine cowboys and their local mansions, the trendy thing was to own some big cats. Money was no object, so lavish facilities were built in the usual walled compounds, and well paid expert handlers were employed. This gave the head honcho some sort of macho brownie points I guess.

When there was a big bust and the helicopters landed, the handlers opened all the cages and let the cats loose, out of spite. The DEA would collect all the drugs, money, and humans. Then the local cops would come in and clean out all the guns. The cats mostly ignored all this, being fat and lazy and unlikely to take offense unless closely approached. Which the law enforcement officers studiously avoided. Then the wildlife officers would be called in to corral the animals. But at the time, this enforcement region didn’t own a tranquilizer gun, so they called me.

One time I came in and the wildlife officer pointed out a tiger weighing probably 450 pounds lying on the other side of the swimming pool. I wasn’t too worried, since the cat probably couldn’t – quite – leap the entire pool to reach me, and the officer was supposed to be behind me with his shotgun. I loaded a dart with anesthetic and sidled out onto the patio, slowly approaching the near edge of the pool to take my shot. I came out of the shelter of the building through a sliding glass door that opened onto the pool area. I’m a lefty, so while shouldering the tranq rifle, my blind side is to my right and behind me. As it happened, on that side was a huge planter filled with palms and such, which I caught out of the corner of my eye. I stepped slowly closer to the pool edge, closing the distance to my tiger target, when I heard a “cuff” noise over my right shoulder. “John?” I called to the officer. He did not reply, as he was peeking out of the doorway but remaining behind the concrete wall for shelter.

I took another step and heard an even more emphatic “cuff!” So I raised my head from the rifle and took a peek over my right shoulder. Lying at the edge of the palm trees, and less than 6 feet from me, was a beautiful black maned lion of maybe 400 pounds. He could have “made a long arm” and collected me right there, but fortunately he wasn’t alarmed or angry, just curious. I slipped quickly back inside the building and stage whispered to the officer “Goddammit, you could have told me there was a lion!” “I’m sorry, we don’t know what animals are here, these people never applied for permits.” “Well then, you go and do a fucking survey while I stay inside and wait.” Turned out there were two lions and the tiger on site. I made them all go sleepy, and other wildlife officers loaded them into crates and took them away to a big cat facility.

So – tigers?

38

Geez. And lieu thought my black mamba story was scary.

39

I’m sure it was. Link? I’ve kept a number of greens but never a black to call my own. The blacks I’ve handled were big, fast, smart, fearless, and aggressive. Truly one of the few snakes that scares the shit out of me.

40

A story from my days at the venom lab. A black mamba nearly scared the shit out of me.