Ask me a year ago what I thought of snakes, or even just mention the word “snake”, and I would recoil and tell you how much I hated them! I’m happy to say a lot has changed in a year; education, exposure, and a few different one-on-one experiences worked to change my deeply-rooted hatred of snakes.
Before applying for the rehabilitation externship at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, I had been working as a vet assistant in a small-animal practice. I have a background in both wildlife management and veterinary science and was looking for something new -- something that would combine these backgrounds and help me set foot in the direction of wildlife care.
I can still picture myself last summer, sitting in the education office of an aquarium in North Carolina, perusing the pictures and stories of education animals on the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s website. After my Education Intern experience at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, I was positive that my place in this wonderful world of wildlife was in conservation education.
In April 2017, the Wildlife Center admitted a male kestrel [patient #17-0435] with a broken wing. The kestrel was found by researchers Lance and Jill Morrow in Rockingham County; they had actually banded the kestrel a year before in that same area. After three months of rehabilitation, the kestrel was released, about 16 miles away from its original banding location. In May 2018, Lance and Jill contacted the Center with good news on former patient #17-0435!
History of Kestrel Nest Box #76 - as of May 13, 2018
I became a wildlife rehabilitation extern to learn new skills about handling and caring for wildlife. I was a pre-veterinary student still trying to figure out which field of veterinary medicine was for me. I thought wildlife rehabilitation would be a nice break from the routine cat and dog appointments that I’ve been seeing for the past three years while working at small-animal veterinary clinics.
As a part of our “Where Are They Now?” series, we had an e-interview with Dr. Adam Naylor, who was our veterinary intern in 2011 – 2012 [when Bald Eagle NX was here!]
What have you done professionally since leaving the Wildlife Center?
Having worked in ecological field and lab research for the past few years, I didn't think wildlife rehabilitation would be too much of a deviation from my previous work. I was looking to try something slower-paced that was more hands-on and personal than the research projects I had been a part of previously, and wildlife rehab seemed right up that alley. I had no idea how much my externship would consistently exceed those expectations.
Spring has sprung at WCV (even though the weather hasn’t quite caught up) – there is an influx of baby squirrels, bunnies, opossums, etc. In the midst of our baby mania, I had the opportunity to participate in the release of our 2017 Black Bear cubs.
Have you ever noticed that almost every picture you see of a WCV staff member, volunteer, or student treating or handling an animal, we are almost always wearing gloves? Have you ever wondered why that is? Maybe it’s because we all have gnarly fingernails that we’re trying to keep hidden. Maybe it’s because we enjoy the great art of miming in between patient treatments. Maybe it’s because we’re all avid Michael Jackson fans. Maybe it’s all of the above (I must admit, I do love a good MJ classic hit).
Lead toxicity is a significant cause of admission for Bald Eagles at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Eagles and other avian scavengers ingest lead as they scavenge the carcasses or remains of animals left in the field by hunters.
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