Care for AWARE's Ambassador Animals

As AWARE Wildlife Center closes a chapter on another successful year of wildlife rehabilitation, we also look at some of the milestones that we have achieved in 2016 in the care, enrichment, and placement of our educational ambassador animals. In 2016, AWARE placed dozens of animals in educational institutions across North America. They included chipmunks, squirrels, turtles, a fawn, woodpeckers, many song birds, ducks, owls, hawks, and vultures.

We are also excited to introduce 3 new education birds recently adopted by AWARE. First, Beakers the red-tailed hawk came to AWARE this past spring with a broken upper beak. Her injury will not allow her to shred or tear any prey animals so she was unable to be released. Now we cut her food for her. It has taken a little time for her new enclosure mate and previous "bachelor", Koko the red-tailed hawk, to get used to the fact that he can't wait around anymore on his high perch if he hopes to eat. He's learned that Beakers responds very quickly to the dinner bell.

Bugsy is a sweet-tempered broad-winged hawk that arrived at AWARE as a juvenile with an injury to the eye and wing. We were so surprised and excited to see Bugsy warming up to and becoming friends with our current resident broad-winged hawk, Delila, who was previously alone. Now, Delila is very protective of Bugsy. They both make wonderful education animals and companions!

The final addition to AWARE's flock was Boogie, the barn owl. When Boogie arrived at AWARE, he had an improperly healed wing injury that prevented his release back to the wild. He gets along well with quiet and reserved barn owl Windy Sue Whoo and we think we know why: He's got great dance moves (see Boogie's dance moves)! The public thought so too and, after a vigorous Facebook naming contest, Boogie became his permanent name.

By the end of 2016, AWARE officially had 20 ambassador animals that were used for educational programs or were newly acquired through our rehabilitation work. Amazingly, between staff and volunteers, we have at least that many people caring for the animals each and every week! As always, we are also proud of our unique enrichment program that provides the "mental food" that we believe every captive wild animal should have. It’s clear from Tappy Oka barred owl that our animals enjoy their “play” time (Tappy plays tennis--sort of!). We are also know that we could not do our work without supporters like you whom we consider to be our partners in the conservation of native Georgia wild species and the preservation of native Georgia wild habitats. Thank you for being there for AWARE!!!

Links:

• AWARE Website
• Follow AWARE on Facebook

One of the most unique things about AWARE Wildlife Center's education program is it's placement program for nonreleasable wildlife. Animals are considered nonreleasable if their injuries can be healed but make them otherwise unable to survive in the wild. AWARE currently has 19 nonreleasable wild animals. We permanently house and care for these animals for the remainder of their lives. In turn, we train them to take part in our education programs where they help us teach the public about how to peacefully interact with wildlife and why concern for wildlife is so vital to the environment and local as well as global sustainability.

AWARE is a small center and just one of a few in the metropolitan Atlanta region. The Nonreleasable Placement Program was specifically created 4 years ago to answer AWARE's need to find an alternative solution to humane euthanasia for animals that were otherwise healthy but that AWARE could not house at its facility. Sassy's story is a wonderful example of one such animal!

In January of 2016, a young white-tailed deer was brought to AWARE. Found alone outside having seizures the previous spring, she was taken in and cared for by a Georgia rehabilitator for several months before arriving at AWARE. Working with a veterinarian, the rehabilitator helped manage her seizures with medication as she grew to be a "teenager." When the deer, affectionately named Sassy, became too big to live with the rehabilitator, she came to AWARE where we took over her care.

The frequency of Sassy's seizures warranted daily medication, as well as bloodwork every so often. Sassy did not mind taking her medication in a piece of fruit, but she did not like getting her blood drawn. (Who does?!)  After three months in our care, Sassy's medications were adjusted to just the right dosage to minimize her daily seizures. Since she would obviously not be able to survive in the wild without her daily medication, we found her a wonderful place to live--A New Hope Animal Sanctuary--where she will help to educate the many visitors to the sanctuary each year about the importance of her species.

Renamed Juniper, Sassy now lives among nonreleasable foxes, lemurs, coatimundis, and many other non-releasable wild animals. She gets to come out of her enclosure often for walks, and she will receive good care and the best possible quality of life with her new family.

AWARE has placed animals across the United States and Canada. When you support AWARE's Ambassador Animal Program, you also support our Nonreleasable Placement Program and provide "educational sustainability" to other wildlife and nature centers with similar missions and visions. More importantly, we are proud of the care and respect that these nonreleasable ambassadors will receive in their new homes for the duration of their lives.

Links:

• AWARE Website