On 24 Dec 1995, CHRISTINE W. MAACK wrote:

> Don gave an excellent snapshot summary of the ethical and practical pitfalls of
> bird rehab (which apply to any wildlife rehab). After subscribing to the
> WLREHAB mailing list for about a year now, I find myself more often keeping
> quiet as others thrash around about euthanasia vs. long-term captivity, problems
> with "pettism", etc. I can only speak for myself when I say, I volunteer in this
> field because I crave it. Not because it's logical, sane or planet-saving. Some
> of the other volunteers have told me they also find the birds so attractive that
> they want to handle them and be near them. So we're a little weird.
>
Chris--

I think that's the key...we crave to be near these amazing
creatures and go to great lengths to do it. This is what gets
people into trapping and banding. I used to travel around with
a couple who banded mostly kestrels and an occasional redtail.
I won't soon forget the day we stumbled on an adult tiercel
redtail..he was so gorgeous...chocolate brown with russet breast..
a beautiful rufous morph...just to be in the presence of that
great bird was an incredible experience and had a profound
effect on me. Judging from Don's replies and anecdotal info
on his Goshutes experience it's a reverent and deeply profound
experience for him as well..so, I don't know what we do about it.
I think the post about the fledgling that was allegedly
frightened to death was sobering. I remember my own experience with
2 mallards I raised from downies. They were shot by some idiot
as they were paddling over to him..fortunately, I didn't catch the
guy. One died that night and the other came out of the reeds when
I called him. He was clearly injured. As I walked toward him trying
to corral him, he avoided me and it became clear that he didn't have
the energy for much more avoidance. I walked back up the hill and
he limped after me..pellet hole in beak next to his eye and who
knows how many other pellets in him..he found a place to lean and
rode it out...three days later he got up, stretched and waddled down
to the pond..He might not have made it had I persisted in *saving*
him..regardless of the purity of my motives..I think this is a
thorny one. The same thing might have happened to Dennis' tangled
up Sharpie if it had hurt itself trying to get away from him...
regardless of the purity of his motives. I guess I'm still thinking
about this one. I did rescue a Steller's Jay in the middle of the
road last year and he did recover and was returned to the wild..I
felt I had not choice as he was standing stunned in the middle of
a busy road..however, the rescue could have easily gone the other
way and he might have run in front of a car trying to get away from
me...I'm still thinking about this one. I don't feel strongly
enough about it to say do away with all rehab, but one wonders about
better use of dollars than to spend $3000.00 sending the one-
winged Albatross to Holland. I think education programs in the
Elementary School with injured wildlife can be beneficial in the
long run..I don't have an answer for this one and I don't see
any ready remedy on the horizon...

Tom