State 21 - Massachusetts
Cape Wildlife Center - Barnstable, MA
MA was a bit of a charge to find something for. It doesn’t look like they separate out raptor rehab like other states. Here is a Barn Owl that was saved from being poisoned.
Check out their Facebook for lots of animal photos and many ridiculous puns such as this bird got some blind justice when it flew into the wall of the courthouse or this owl couldn’t bend it like Beckham when it got stuck in a soccer net.
From their Facebook
We know we sound like a broken record, but the patients keep coming! Anticoagulant Rat Poisons arenot the answer! 🐀 🦉
This Barn Owl is receiving emergency treatment for suspected rodenticide toxicity in our hospital today. He was recovered by team members from Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket and the local animal control officer this morning who found him being attacked by crows and in rough shape. Thankfully, they were able to safely get him on the last boat off the island before the coming storm, and our team picked him up at the docks and rushed him back to our hospital.
By the time he reached us he was debilitated, emaciated, and so weak he could not stand. His clotting time is over 3 hours and counting! Normal is within 4-6 minutes. These factors combined with his other blood work indicate that he is likely the victim of second generation anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosos,AKA rat poisoning.
This illness occurs when a predator eats a mouse or rat that has ingested the poison and as a result their blood stops clotting correctly. This can lead to systemic illness, and in severe cases can be fatal. Often times the predator becomes to weak to catch food, and as a result slowly grows weaker with time.
Thankfully this owl is already feeling a little better after his initial treatments, and is even started standing on his own. His attitude and condition improved enough that we were able to assist feed him some mice bits this afternoon along with a second dose of medications and fluids. He has a long road ahead, but his quick improvement has given us reason to be hopeful for a recovery.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you! I do appreciate the feedback. I try to do more than just Google pictures. I like showing off the unique species and what you can see in your neighborhood. I try to find places where you can meet the owls in person and maybe support the rescues or find an opportunity to volunteer.
Some places where rescues are more available are pretty easy, but some states don’t have many organizations to begin with, let alone ones that can have visitors, so some posts take me a while to do.
If you ever have any requests, I’ll try to find something good for you. I try to keep it varied, but if you guys get tired of one kind of owl or want more of another, let me know! We’ve had a bunch of Screech Owls lately, but they seem to be popular, but the Great Horned Owls I also really like haven’t seemed to get the same response. I also try to get out of the US lately on weekends, so there’s something for non-US people when the most eyes are on the page.
I’ve kinda taken over this place by default since nobody posts, but I try to give something to everybody. The sub count had really grown, but it’d still be nice to get more posts or comments, so everyone don’t be afraid to say something, even if it’s relatively off topic. I like when we talk mythology or cultural traditions or owl art or anything like that. I haven’t heard a peep from the mods, so bring up whatever you want as far as I care. If it’s owl related, I’ll chat about it. If like to see this community flourish in more than a meme picture type way.
Ok, yapping too much, I’ll shut up now! 😇
Speaking as a mod, keep up the great work!
Hey, you’re alive! 😉
I’m glad someone is watching over the place. I like keeping this place active, but I don’t want any real responsibilities, just to post things to make everyone smile.
No request. Just caught my eye because I’m from MA.
I like MA. I was excited to go to Provincetown and climb the tower there to see the “tip of the boot.”
I also did the Salem Witch Museum, the Mayflower/Plymouth Rock, the Plymouth Plantation, and the Edward Gorey House.
That rock is real exciting… 😏
Yeah, I was glad I was warned to have low expectations. It looks like it fell down a sewer drain. But the whole story seems kinda BS to begin with, so yeahhhhh. 😅
Considering they landed in Provincetown first anyway.
Second hand accounts by ancient great great grandparents aren’t reliable sources if historically accurate information?! Who wouldn’t try to land a wooden ship on a rocky shore in rough, frigid ocean waters?
From Wikipedia for anyone OOTL: