What
to do with an injured raptor?
There
are some important things to keep in mind:
- The
bird will not react as you expect it to! You want to help, still you
are an enemy. Raptors that are not very seriously injured will
either try to escape or fight.
- A
long struggle can make things worse!
- Try
to avoid chasing the bird all over the place!
- Be
careful with talons and beaks, if a larger raptor grips you, you
will not be able to free yourself alone! The talons are usually more
dangerous than the beak.
Preparations:
- If
possible, look for a cardboard box just a little larger than the
bird itself. Put in something for the bird to grip, some small
branches, or a towel. Any piece of cloth that is clean and not too
thin will do.
- Never
use
a wire-cage, this is an absolute "feather-killer", also
the bird is very likely to wipe off its cere completely when trying
to go right through the wire!!
- Cut
some small holes to avoid suffocation and too much heat, especially
in summer.
- Get
some string ready to make sure you can really keep the box closed
after the bird is in it, larger raptors can be very strong!
- Prepare
a blanket or any piece of cloth big enough to cover the whole raptor.
You could even use your jacket or a sweater with smaller birds.
Difficult
part:
-
Take
the blanket (jacket, ...) and try to quickly cover the bird with it.
Do
not hesitate,
your movements should be well-planned,
properly
directed
and
fast.
You must try to get the whole bird underneath. Don't go for a long
struggle!
-
Once
the bird is caught avoid its escape by holding the cloth down. Wait
a few seconds for the bird to calm down.
-
Caution:
some species prefer to turn over onto their backs and grip you with
their talons. Have them grip the blanket or whatever and cover them
up, moving them to the side.
-
Now
with the help of the blanket (or whatever piece of cloth), grip the
bird from both sides, pressing its wings well against the body
(hold tight!). Beware of the talons! Lift it from the ground and put it into the box. Let
go cautiously, (don't drop the bird or throw it in!), quickly take
away the cloth and close the lids, don't forget the string!!
-
Check
the strings well, before you put the box into your car, especially
with larger raptors!
-
Keep
the bird in a dark place, but avoid too much heat.
-
Do
not feed the bird!
-
If
the bird is very weak, too weak to fight, offer it some water, do
not force it to drink,
you might very well kill it.
Where
to take the bird:
-
First
idea would be to contact the next veterinarian. Most vets will
help you willingly, only rarely they can treat an injured raptor.
They can never have the experience. I'm not trying to say, that vets
aren't capable of helping animals - that's what they have studied
for. But an injured raptor is not a domestic animal. The main
problem is, most veterinarians have no cages to keep the raptor. So
if the bird can be treated, who will keep it then??
-
Try
to find a raptor rehabilitation facility
near your place and contact them. Ask for help there. You can find
some very useful links on my "Links" - page. You can also
contact me for advice with the help of Human Click Direct Chat (real
time) at the bottom of this page, whenever I am online. If not, it
displays: "Leave us a message!" or "Back in five
minutes!"
The
sooner the bird is treated correctly, the quicker it can be released to
the wild again, the
better are the chances of survival. Let
professionals do the job!
Very
important: In most countries it is forbidden
to keep birds-of-prey or owl-species privately!!!
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