Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care

Education/Living with Wildlife

Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care (ESWC) is dedicated to helping native wildlife through rehabilitation of injured, ill and orphaned birds, mammals, and reptiles and through education programs that further public knowledge and appreciation of native wildlife. 

Wildlife rehabilitation is the primary activity of the organization. Injured, ill and orphaned wildlife are provided with appropriate care, food and housing with the goal of returning them to their natural, wild existence. All care is provided free of charge by ESWC.

Patients are admitted from as far north as Yosemite and Walker and as far south as Death Valley and Olancha, covering a corridor about 200 miles long and 60 miles wide. ESWC is located in Inyo County and operates under permits from California Department of Fish and Game and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Animals needing help are brought to ESWC by community members and visitors to the area, as well as by public agencies such as California Department of Fish and Game, Animal Control, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. Public referrals come from veterinary hospitals, pet and feed stores, bird clubs, Eastern Sierra Audubon, California Native Plant Society, Sierra Club, Chamber of Commerce, and Mammoth Visitor’s Center. ESWC volunteers carry out rescue efforts when the finder is unable to rescue the injured animal. Our Rescue and Return Team also returns young birds to nests and.or parents when conditions permit. In cases requiring further veterinary services or special housing, patients are transferred to another rehabilitation facility.

The rehabilitation process includes examination and assessment of each animal’s condition; appropriate medical care is provided, if needed, as well as food and housing. Care and feeding of baby animals may require round-the-clock feedings, and is labor-intensive work. When the patient reaches a suitable stage of health (and age, in the case of babies), it is placed in appropriate cages or aviaries for conditioning. Ultimately, the animal is released into an appropriate habitat and, in the case of flock or colonial specie, with others of its kind. [Regulations governing wildlife rehabilitation are set forth in CDFG and USFWS codes.]

Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care (ESWC) is dedicated to helping native wildlife through rehabilitation of injured, ill and orphaned birds, mammals, and reptiles and furthering public knowledge and appreciation of native wildlife through education.
More than 2400 wild birds and mammals—370 animals in 2006 alone—have been given a second chance at our door since our beginnings in 1995. Injured, ill and orphaned wildlife are provided with appropriate care, food and housing with the goal of returning them to their natural, wild existence.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

ESWC offers educational programs for school classrooms and community groups and events free of charge. These programs address the problems that bring wild mammals and birds into rehabilitation and how people can help prevent some of these problems. Some handouts are included.

1. Helping Wildlife. This program consists of a slide show featuring the wide variety of patients admitted to ESWC—from hummingbirds to eagles and rabbits to raccoons. Discussion of individual patients, why they were admitted, the care they receive and the natural history of some species; also includes pointers on what to do if you find an animal needing help. Program length: 35-60 min.

2. What is a Raptor? This live animal program features our wildlife ambassador “Karma" shown in the photo, and discusses the natural history of raptors in general. Program length: 15-30 min.

3. Raptors and Reptiles. This live animal programexpands “What is a Raptor?” (with "Karma”) to include live reptiles—a Kingsnake, Rosy Boa, and Gopher Snake and a discussion of snakes and the part they play in our ecosystem. Program length: 35-60 min.

 4. Not-so-scary Snakes: This live animal program is “Raptors and Reptiles” without the raptor portion. Program length: 35-60 min.

ESWC is a volunteer-based, non-profit, tax-exempt corporation operating under permits from California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Donations are gratefully accepted and are tax-deductible. 2007

For questions about living with wildlife please contact Cindy Kamler

KARMA, RED-TAILED HAWK WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR

TURNS 4 YEARS OLD

Karma, a Red-tailed Hawk who is Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care's "Wildlife Ambassador," was photographed by Chris Morrison, a terrific local photographer who works at Pet Friendzy and has founded a "herp" (reptiles and amphibians) club here in Bishop. He has generously given us these fantastic photos for our use.

Karma was admitted June 19, 2007. The Red-tailed Hawk was just getting his first red tail feathers, indicating that he was approximately one year of age. Karma was suffering from heat prostration (it was 115 degrees the day he was found unconscious in the Fish Lake Valley desert) and spinal injury. Because the primary feathers had all been pulled from one wing some months earlier, it was apparent that the young raptor had been in someone's possession illegally. Subsequent behavioral evidence led us to believe that he had been taken illegally from the nest  at a very young age. He showed no signs of ever having flown; indeed, he would not have been able to do so without the primaries that had been removed.

Karma spent months in a state of mental and emotional confusion. He did not eat on his own, but had to be force fed for 9 months until he finally began to eat on his own. Once he could feed himself, the next step was to introduce him to flight. He had to finish growing in new primary feathers to replace those that had been pulled, and molt out and grow new ones to replace many feathers that were damaged during the time he had to be restrained and forced to eat.

When this was accomplished, Janice Meredith, an ESWC volunteer and licensed master falconer, took Karma to her home and began the lengthy and difficult process of training him to fly using falconry techniques that would insure that the raptor would return to the handler when called. After months of hard work, Janice had Karma flying free and returning to her whistle. However, Karma's flight is limited because of his early deprivation of normal flight learning. He flies readily from the handler to some point, and returns to a call, but the concept of climbing, soaring, and exploring has not yet entered his thinking.

But he loves his daily flight sessions at the Center. Staff and volunteers participate in these special moments. Karma excitedly starts calling early in the morning in anticipation of flying. We maintain him at a "flying" weight, one where he will fly but be hungry enough to return to our call. Each time he returns to the handler, either to the glove or to the lure, he gets a  bit of food. In fact, all his daily intake of food is given during the flight session.

The photos Chris took reveal the joy and power of Karma's flight, and a sense of what it is like to work with him. As an ESWC volunteer, you are welcome to come watch one of Karma's flight sessions. We usually fly him around 9:30 or 10 during these summer months. Just call and let us know you want to attend.

Karma, who is permitted to stay with us by the USFWS as an education bird, makes appearances at schools and community events as part of ESWC's education program. If any of you are interested in becoming an Education Team volunteer, give me  or Debbie a call. Being a team member means that you can be one of Karma's "flight partners" if you are interested.

All of us who work with Karma or who have had a chance to watch him fly are continually filled with joy and happiness seeing this once sadly-abused young Raptor winging through the air. I know that I feel privileged and excited to have the opportunity to watch Karma as he flies powerfully and lands on the lure or my glove. Karma has brought thrills to all of us here and all the children and adults who have met him. He is a beautiful bird and a good friend.

Cindy Kamler

lkamler@earthlink.net