This page is dedicated to our wildlife patients. It shows
snapshots of some of the work done at W.E.R.C. With your
generous donations, we can continue to provide injured and
orphaned wildlife the medical care, proper nutrition, shelter,
and other necessities so they can be released healthy, wild,
and free. Please continue to check this site for frequent
updates.
GOLFER HITS EAGLE …LITERALLY!
 A
young Golden Eagle has had his life saved by an errant golf
ball! If it hadn’t been for some duffer’s slice
at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy, the large raptor might
never have been discovered and rescued. On June 22nd, Frank
Filice was preparing for a golf tournament when he saw the
eagle underneath a tree on the greens.
Since it was apparent that the bird was injured and could
not stand, Mr. Filice called the Gilroy Police Department
for help. The eagle was weak from starvation and was easily
captured by Animal Control Officer Gary Muraoka who declared,
“I’m not a very good golfer, but I got an eagle
on the 8th hole at Eagle Ridge!” The bird was immediately
taken it to the Princevalle Animal Hospital (Gilroy), where
Dr. Suzanne Colbert performed a thorough examination. X-rays
showed that the eagle had a dislocated joint in the right
leg, which twisted his, leg 70 degrees and prevented him
from flying and capturing prey. Just how the primary injury
to the leg occurred is unknown.
Following initial treatment, the eagle was brought to W.E.R.C.
for further care, and according to Sue Howell, Executive
Director, “It looks like the secondary injury to the
affected area was caused by a golf ball, because of size
and markings of the ‘divot’ in the eagle’s
joint.”
Named Orion, the eagle steadily regained his health at
W.E.R.C. The next step was orthopedic surgery on August
28th. Dr James Roush, a renowned veterinary orthopedic surgeon,
performed the operation in which bolts were used to straighten
the eagle’s leg so that he could perch comfortably.
In October, after 6 weeks of daily medication, leg bandaging,
and foot massage, the cast was removed and Orion transferred
from his temporary indoor enclosure (a retrofitted playpen)
to a small outdoor enclosure where he could stretch his
wings and re-learn how to perch. Orion remains under W.E.R.C.’s
rehabilitative care and is being moved into progressively
larger enclosures as part of his physical therapy regimen,
in order to build up his muscles in flight.
Orion will never be able to bend his leg, a necessity for
catching prey and for proper flight, and therefore he would
not be able to survive in the wild. Fortunately, with the
assistance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this magnificent
raptor will be placed at a licensed wildlife facility where
he can proudly serve as an educational animal.
**********************************
The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (W.E.R.C.)
is asking for financial assistance to help cover expenses
for medical supplies and medications during the Eagle’s
estimated 6 months of post-operative care and physical therapy.
Combined with its food requirements and enclosure upkeep,
caring for this 9-pound eagle will cost $20-$50 a day! If
you would like to be a hero to Orion, please send your tax-deductible
donation to:
W.E.R.C.
P.O. Box 1105
Morgan Hill, CA 95038-1105
or donate via Paypal on this website
UPDATE -
Video Diary of Orion's Surgery here
Orion's Surgery
The Golden Eagle’s surgery on August
28th was a success – more than 2 hours worth, not
counting the hours of pre- and post-op procedures.
The feathers were plucked from his leg and the dislocated
joint was removed. Dr. James Roush bolted a metal plate
in to connect the two bones (see x-ray).
For the next 6 weeks, Orion’s leg will be kept wrapped
and in a fiberglass cast. Orion is on daily antibiotics
and pain medications and so far is doing well, though he
remains in critical condition. He is standing, but trying
to adjust comfortably to his permanently unbendable leg.
Dr. Roush suits up for Orion’s surgery
While on the x-ray table, Orion’s wingspan is measured:
6 feet, 1 inch! His right leg has not had the cast installed
yet (note—the talons are temporarily bound for safety).
Dr. Suzanne Colbert and Vet Tech TJ prepare Orion for surgery.
The Case of the Grounded Grebe
It was a gray and foggy morning when the duck-like creature
tried to make a quick get-away to a lagoon, but instead
flew smack-dab onto the pavement near the Morgan Hill P.D.
A cop on his way to work spotted the offender and arrested
it for impeding traffic. At the Department, the bird was
held for questioning, but he kept his beak shut.
 The
police officer’s family brought it to WERC where staff
investigated the situation and determined that the bird
just needed a little rehabilitation and relocation, not
long-term incarceration. It wasn’t destined to be
a jail-bird. Perusing the books (Peterson’s Field
Guide), the bird was ID’d as Podilymbus podiceps,
aka the Pied-Billed Grebe.
Some of its other known aliases are “hell diver”
and “water witch”. The 13” long grebe
disguises its appearance to fit the season—in winter,
the distinctive black, mustache-like ring on its beak disappears.
The bird’s other distinguishing features are its lobed
toes and legs set far back on its body---ideal adaptations
for eluding the fuzz (though actually, its predators are
other feathered culprits) by diving into the water or sinking
like a sub with only its head visible.
The grebe is also adept at swimming with the fishes. But
its legs aren’t so good for pushing off from dry land;
it’s almost as if its feet have been shackled. It
spends most of its life on the water and probably landed
in the middle of the street because the wet road looked
a lot like a watery sanctuary.
During the bird’s probationary period, W.E.R.C. wardens
kept an eye on it for a couple of days, fattening him up
on lots of smelt before letting him fly the coop. He’s
now a freebird at an undisclosed location--a local pond
filled with lots of bugs, fish and crawdads to eat.
The Gopher
True, the Gopher can cause considerable damage to lovely
spring flower gardens and may eat a farmer’s carefully
tended organic crops. Yet despite its destructive tendencies,
the rodent can be beneficial to our environment, serving
as a tasty and nutritious survival meal for a multitude
of native wildlife. Barn owls, hawks, snakes, bobcats, badgers,
weasels, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes are some of the wild
animals that hunt the rodents.
W.E.R.C. doesn’t admit rodents to its Center. But
because of unusual  circumstances,
it has rehabilitated two injured Pocket Gophers as educational
ambassadors, which are special, non-releasable animals that
help to educate the public on the importance of our local
native wildlife.
In February, a local family was proudly presented a gopher-gift
by their cat. Since the gopher had only superficial wounds
and was a youngster, it made an excellent animal to join
W.E.R.C.’s educational team. The little critter has
been named “Patches” for the new fur growing
out on its old wounds.
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