Badger Run

If you are interested in volunteering at Badger Run for your Senior/Capstone project, you must email us with your contact information, availability, required hours, and deadline(s). We do not have the volunteer staff to handle each of you individually, so we must be able to coordinate “work parties” where you can all contribute, help out, and complete your projects at the same time. Please submit your responses ASAP via the email link on this website.

 The Great Grey Owl that came in last month after being hit by a car is all healed up.  He was released back to his home territory this afternoon!  As a warm-up he flew 2 full laps of our large flight pen when our president went out to catch him for transport.  It’s usually the best for our patients to be released back to their home turf.  Familiar surroundings, possible family members (for some species), existence of appropriate food supply & habitat, all lead to less stress on the animal.  Two weeks ago we also released the Barn Owl who tangled with the barbed wire fence that was profiled in our last post.  It likewise was fully recovered & was sent back to its home territory for release.

It’s been a very busy week at Badger Run. Just about every “in-patient” cage we have right now is occupied. Along with our resident educational animal ambassadors we have a juvenile American Kestrel with an eye injury, a raven with head trauma, a raven with a wing injury, another juvenile raven that someone tried to illegally raise as a pet, a Red-tailed Hawk with an eye injury, a juvenile Bald Eagle with a wing injury, some baby swallows, & now these 2 new owl patients.

This Barn Owl came into Badger Run this weekend following a harrowing encounter with a barbed wire fence.  It sustained severe soft tissue trauma & was suffering from dehydration & exhaustion when admitted.  Luckily though, no fractures were found when we X-rayed.

The same day we also received a very rare patient, a Great Grey Owl.  Only the 2nd ever taken in at Badger Run in all these years.  It’s injury, however, is not a rarity.  It had been hit by a car, the #1 injury we see in birds of prey.  It has a fractured wrist which we have successfully splinted.  Both birds will continue to receive fluids, medication, & proper nutrition.  We’ll do our best for them & hope that our efforts combined with rest & time will lead to a good outcome.