Harbor Seal is Back in the Wild

We're so happy to tell you that the Harbor Seal we updated you about last week, is now back in the sea! This was the seal who was taken to a Westport, WA hotel room by well-meaning, but unknowing vacationers.

Yesterday, after loading the now-50-pound seal into a dog crate for a long drive from Lynnwood to Ocean Shores, PAWS' Naturalist Kevin Mack and Wildlife Rehabilitator Raina Domek carried the crated seal down to the water and set him free. The seal, who had only known a pool with walls the last 12 weeks, took a bit to get his bearings. Eventually he took advantage of the vast open water around him and swam away.

You can read the full story and see video and photos of the release in the Seattle Times and on KIRO TV.

Feathered Orphans

Every spring and summer at the PAWS Wildlife Center we receive dozens of young songbirds in need of help. Many are healthy orphans who have lost or become separated from their parents. Some are injured and require medical care. All require proper nutrition for their growing bodies as well as proper enclosures in which they can complete their journey from sitting in a nest to flying free.

The songbirds we receive represent a diverse group of species, and each species has its own unique behaviors. From the charmingly polite whistle of the young Black-headed Grosbeak to the soft but insistent trill of the Cedar Waxwing, this diversity is especially visible in the way baby birds beg to be fed. The video clip below will give you a glimpse of just a few of the young songbirds who were helped by PAWS this summer.

The clip begins with a Red-breasted Nuthatch fledgling who has begun to forage for himself in his aviary. The next bird you will see is a fledgling Black-headed Grosbeak who is not quite ready to feed himself. The soft whistle and the trembling wing is his way of asking for a bite to eat. Next you will see a younger, and more insistent Cedar Waxwing trilling and flapping to indicate that she is hungry. Finally, you will see three fledgling Tree Swallows requesting a meal in their own way and being fed as a result.
 

 

It really is amazing to work with baby birds and to discover each species’ unique character but, unless you have the proper permits and experience, you should never attempt to raise orphaned baby birds yourself. If they are fed an improper diet or housed in an inappropriate manner they can very quickly develop irreversible and life-threatening issues. If you do find a young bird you believe needs help, always contact PAWS or another licensed wildlife rehabilitator to receive guidance on how best to help the animal.

Harbor Seal Found in Hotel, Growing Up Fast

The Harbor Seal pup PAWS Wildlife Center has been caring for is gaining weight and growing up fast! You may remember this pup was brought to PAWS by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) after a well-intentioned, but unknowing couple of vacationers took him into their hotel room in Westport, WA, believing him to be abandoned by his mother.

In the first part of this clip, the seal pup is eyeing us curiously, but cautiously. He has maintained a healthy wariness of humans, an important factor for his future survival in the wild. The red tag on his rear flipper is a NOAA Fisheries identification marker used to help monitor the health of marine mammal populations.

He has a healthy appetite, and has learned to hunt for fish (as seen in the last part of the video clip). With all his growth and learning, he is on track for a successful release back into wild waters soon.

Here's another clip of him, this one taken just after his arrival at PAWS. As you can see, he was much smaller then (less than two months ago!).

Wildlife Patients in Care: Bald Eagle

This Bald Eagle was found on the ground in Coupeville, WA on June 10. She was just learning to fly and was too young to be on her own. No sign of her parents could be found so someone from Best Friends Veterinary Clinic brought her all the way to PAWS.

(Are you seeing a pattern with our wildlife patients this time of year? Lots of young ones on their own!)

Raccoon Moms and Babies are on the Move

The recent story about an encounter with Raccoons on the Magnolia Voice blog prompted me to want to share some important information about preventing conflicts with these native mammals at this time of year.
 
The situation in Magnolia must have been frightening and painful for the people and dogs involved. They were out doing what they probably normally do in the backyard. Unfortunately, it happened that a mother Raccoon was also out doing what she normally does at night--foraging with her babies. Right now, there are many mother Raccoons out there traveling with their half-grown offspring. As any mother would be, they are very defensive of their young and will fight to protect them.  If approached too closely by dogs, humans or others these mothers will do their best to ward off what they perceive as deadly threats to their babies.

On that night in Magnolia when the dogs approached the mother Raccoon, she very likely feared for her own safety and that of her offspring. She fought with the dogs to protect herself and her babies. Understandably, the people ran over to defend the ones they love, their dogs, so the mother Raccoon fought them, too. The babies became terrified so they took up a defensive posture as well.
 
Both sides of the altercation felt like they were under attack, and both sides fought their hardest to protect themselves and their families. Thankfully, it looks as if everyone will be okay.
 
Even in the most urban of settings, Raccoons live side-by-side with humans.  Most of the time we aren’t even aware that they are there.  One lesson to be learned from this horrible incident is that we should not take the safety of our surroundings for granted.
 
Follow these tips to prevent conflicts with Raccoons this time of year while mothers and babies are out looking for food:

• Before you let your pet outside quickly check your yard for Raccoons or other animals. Think of it as similar to looking both ways before crossing the road.
• Securely cover your compost and garbage cans.
• Feed pets inside or bring in the dishes immediately after pets are finished eating.
• Close and lock pet doors at night.
• Harvest ripe fruit and vegetables and pick up fallen fruits right away.

More information on peaceful co-existence with Raccoons can be found in the PAWS resource library.

Wildlife Patients in Care: Douglas Squirrel

This young Douglas Squirrel was found in a driveway in Maple Valley. Apparently orphaned, the squirrel was hungry and confused. He approached a man and started to climb up his leg! 

The man put the poor squirrel in a box and brought him to PAWS for care. The squirrel is now nearly full-grown and almost ready for release back to the wild.

Goose Makes A Full Recovery

On June 1, a Canada Goose Gosling was brought to the PAWS Wildlife Center with an unusual injury.  The young bird had somehow impaled himself on a piece of chain-link fencing and the fence had to be cut to free him. The portion of the fence that had impaled him was still sticking out of his body just behind his right wing.

 

We took radiographs of the gosling to get a better look at the size and shape of the foreign object that was penetrating his body. As you can see in the photo of the radiograph below, it was fairly large and well-embedded.

 
We anesthetized the bird and PAWS Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. John Huckabee carefully removed the piece of fencing and then cleaned and dressed the wound.

 
The gosling had a pronounced limp for several weeks after the impalement wound had healed. There had been some muscle and tissue damage that needed time to resolve. During almost two months of care, the goose grew into a beautiful sub-adult bird, and he retained only a barely noticeable hitch in his walk from his injury. I released the goose on July 30 with three other geese who had received care at PAWS. The photo below shows him making his return to the wild.

Wildlife Patients in Care: Red-tailed Hawk

This Red-tailed Hawk was transported to PAWS from the Seattle Animal Shelter on June 9. We have volunteers who help with transporting animals from Seattle and other places around the Puget Sound.

As a young bird, this hawk was not yet flying when he came in, but we don't know the exact reason he was brought in. Now that he's here, he'll stay with us until he is old enough and strong enough to survive on his own.

Bear Cubs Practice Foraging Skills

We provide the wild animals in care at PAWS with items that encourage them to express their natural behaviors. Since bears spend much time in the wild pulling apart rotting logs to get at the insects hiding within, we place logs in our bear cages to allow our patients to practice this essential skill. The staff hides mealworms and other treats within the logs to further encourage this natural foraging behavior. As the young bear in this video clip discovered, clawing at logs creates dust and small wood particles that can be a little irritating to the eyes.

 
 
 

Wildlife Patients in Care: Red-breasted Nuthatch

 
This Red-breasted Nuthatch and a sibling were brought to PAWS on June 25 after their nest tree was cut down.

It's a good reminder to carefully examine trees and bushes you are trimming to make sure there are no nests. Better yet, wait until fall to do your trimming when wild animals are finished raising their young.