Recent Admissions
by Kevin Mack, PAWS Wildlife Naturalist

Since the last installment of Wild Again (or rather "Domestic Again") we have received some very interesting patients here at the PAWS Wildlife Center. Because of their cause of admission, their personalities, or both, several of these patients have really made an impression on me. Today I would like to introduce you to these young individuals, and I hope you will be meeting them again as free adults in future editions of Wild Again.

Meet Green Herons 05-1579, 05-1580, 05-1581.

Green Herons nest next to water, and both young and adult birds often hide among the vegetation at the water's edge. When a threat approaches, the birds stick their necks straight up and blend in perfectly with the reeds and other plants. These particular herons were in a nest on the edge of a storm water retention pond in Sammamish. A work crew that was clearing weeds from around the pond did not detect the young herons until they had accidentally destroyed their nest and killed two of their siblings.

The workers felt horrible about what had happened, and one of them drove the three surviving herons to PAWS.

The herons are currently doing well, and are eagerly snapping up bits of smelt that are offered to them. The story of these herons is a prime example of why it is necessary to be extra cautious while performing any sort of habitat alteration (yard work, landscaping, etc.) during the spring and summer breeding season.

In addition to the herons, two coyote pups recently came into our care. They have very different personalities. Pup 05-1336 is shown here. It is unclear how he became separated from his mother, but he was extremely thin and weak when a concerned citizen discovered him. Like many coyote pups that we receive, he cowers in the corner and averts his eyes when approached by humans. His cagemate, however, takes a more aggressive stance towards intruders.

This is coyote pup 05-1390. She was found next to a highway, curled up beside the body of her dead mother. A concerned citizen took her in and cared for her for a period of time before discovering that it was illegal for her to do so. Because the coyote was exposed to a lot of human contact before her arrival at PAWS, there was initially some concern that she may have become habituated. As you can see in this photo, she certainly doesn't appear to enjoy the company of humans.

When the snarl doesn't work, coyote 05-1390 opens her mouth wider to ensure that her teeth are clearly visible. This display is clearly meant to say "do not touch," but when the coyote is actually handled...

...she behaves very much like her cagemate. This photo was taken during her initial exam.

Both the herons and the coyotes required our help due to unintentional consequences of human actions. Unfortunately, some animals need our help after being deliberately harmed by humans. Such was the case with three nestling Glaucous- winged Gulls that were tossed into a dumpster by an unidentified person. Fortunately, another human that was far more respectful of wild lives discovered the young birds shortly after they were placed in the dumpster.

It is often challenging in this line of work not to feel hopeless about the state of human/wildlife interactions. We see so many animals that have been harmed in so many different ways, and the thought of someone performing a deliberately cruel act is especially disheartening. Sure, it would be easy to dwell on the fact that the beautiful creature in this photo came to us because it was left in a dumpster by an uncaring human, but that is actually not even true. The baby gulls came to the PAWS Wildlife Center because someone who truly cared rescued them from that dumpster. Every animal that comes through our doors, regardless of the initial cause of distress, is brought here because someone cares. That's the thought on which I choose to dwell.

Wild animals released between June 29 and July 12, 2005:

4 American Robins
1 Bald Eagle
4 Canada Geese
1 Eastern Cottontail
4 Mallards
1 Glaucous-winged Gull
4 House Finches
1 Spotted Towhee
1 Dark-eyed Junco
5 American Crows
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

284 wild animals have been released since the beginning of 2005.