Care for AWARE's Ambassador Animals

At AWARE Wildlife Center, we have several animals officially classified as education animals. Education animals are those that are no longer in rehabilitation and cannot be released back to the wild because their injuries prevent them from surviving successfully without help. We specifically call them Ambassador Animals for the role they play in helping the public to understand the plight and significance of wildlife in Georgia as well as the importance of preserving the health of the environment. Right now we have a small group of animals--mostly birds--that we suspect will fall into this category of non-releasable animals.

One example is a great-horned owl that came to AWARE in November 2014. The owl came in with a broken wing after being hit by a car. This is a common injury suffered by many owls and hawks who chase prey that is crossing the road. The prey is often on the road eating trash or other food dumped there by people. When the headlights of a car approach, it makes it easier for the prey to be seen but the birds do not realize there are thousands of pounds of machinery behind those lights. Many birds and other animals do not survive.

Upon examination of the owl, other old and healed injuries were noted. He had toes that were broken and some toes were missing altogether on both feet. This injury was most likely caused by a trap used to catch wildlife. Neither foot appeared able to properly grab a prey animal yet this bird was very plump and well fed. An x-ray of the owl also showed evidence of shotgun pellets in its head and neck, which were also suspected old injuries.

Overall, this owl had 3 separate negative interactions with humans--being hit by a car, injured by a trap, and shot at twice--and yet still managed to survive despite those challenges. Sadly, the final injury to this bird's wing makes it unable to fly properly and be released to the wild. The volunteers have named him Owl Capone in honor of all that he has gone through. As a result of AWARE's non-releasable placement program, majestic animals like Owl Capone will hopefully be able to save more animals through education.