Events Local events Flight of an eagle
Flight of an eagle
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(Photo above: Monika Paterson.)
By Bev Boyle
It was amazing. It was beautiful. Standing in a field at the EasyGo Ranch in Lac La Hache on a gorgeous afternoon, Bev Day and husband Ralph Smith released the eagle that had been found wounded and dazed on the side of the highway last August.
(Photo: Monika Paterson. Bev and Ralph holding eagle.)
Its powerful wings gracefully spread, the eagle soared over the property and circled overhead while the crowd smiled and cheered, many with tears in their eyes.
The eagle had been involved in inter-species fighting, fell to the ground and was hit by a vehicle. He had lots of puncture wounds and bruising on his wings and legs from the fighting and being hit. EasyGo Ranch owner Carina Krahn, with permission from Fish & Wildlife, rescued the bird and tended to him until he could be sent to the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (O.W.L.) in Delta, BC.
(Photo: Monika Paterson.)
The Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society is a non-profit organization whose volunteers are dedicated to public education and the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned birds. The Facility specializes in raptors. Birds of prey injuries at O.W.L. number over two hundred each year and as O.W.L.'s facilities have expanded, have numbered over three hundred the past few years. Primary care for injured birds, ie: injections, tube feeding, and initial treatment of broken bones to stabilize, is administered by volunteers trained through seminars given by veterinarians from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. Veterinary care. Surgery involving the pinning of fractures, removal of bullets, etc. is thankfully donated by Huff Animal Hospital and Fraser Heights Animal Hospital. OWL pays only for medications. OWL attempts to find breeding programs for the non-releasable birds of prey so their young can be released to the wild.
Birds of prey are sent to OWL from all over British Columbia, other provinces and the U.S.A.
After the release, guests were invited to a slide show presentation and then to view three birds the foundation uses for educational purposes because they cannot be released in the wild due to their injuries.
(
Photo: Melissa Brown.)
It was incredible to see these birds upfront and close. The work these people do for these birds is wonderful, and to think all government funding has been suspended (due to money probably going to the Olympics, says Bev Day), is a heartbreaking assault to nature.
(Photo: Melissa Brown.)
Please visit O.W.L.'s website at http://www.owlcanada.ca/ and help if you can. As a non-profit organization, OWL relies on public and corporate donations to operate and OWL gratefully accepts any donation.
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