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THE WINSTON CHURCHLL MEMORIAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

Report by MELISSA MERRY

2006 Churchill Fellow

The Peter Mitchell Fellowship to Study Raptor Rehabilitation and Conservation in the USA with special emphasis on

acquiring new skills in veterinary medicine and conservation through education via Public displays and interactions.

I understand that the Churchill Trust may publish this report, either in hard copy or on the internet or both, and consent to such publication. I indemnify the Churchill Trust against any loss, costs or damages it may suffer arising out of any claim or proceedings made against the Trust in respect of or arising out of the publication of any Report submitted to the Trust which the Trust places on a website for access over the internet. I also warrant that my Final Report is original and does not infringe the copyright of any person of contain anything which is, or the incorporation of which into the final report is, actionable for defamation, a breach of any privacy law or obligation, breach of confidence, contempt of court, passing-off or contravention of any other private right or of any law. Signed Dated Melissa Merry 20/08/2007 ……………………………………………………………………………………….....

Melissa Merry 2006 Churchill Fellow

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INDEX

1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Executive Summary 4 3.0 Programme 5 4.0 The Fellowship Journey 6 4.1 The inspiration 4.2 My Goals 7

4.3 Australian Raptors why do we need conservation and rehabilitation 8

5.0 Across the globe 12

5.1 Raptor Rehabilitation, veterinary medicine and Conservation via education in the United States of America 12

5.2 Natural Encounters Incorporated 13 5.3 International Centre for Birds of Prey 19 5.4 Carolina Raptor Centre 24 5.5 University of Minnesota 29 5.6 Alaska Raptor Centre 37 6.0 Conclusions 41 6.1 Dissemination 43 7.0 Recommendations 45 References 47


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1.0 INTRODUCTION During an 8 week period of early 2007, I visited five of the USA’s premier Raptor

rehabilitation, conservation and education/training facilities. This opportunity provided me

with invaluable experience and knowledge in the care, management, rehabilitation and

training of raptors. These 8 weeks not only inspired me but gave me a new found confidence

in myself, my beliefs and values and my goals both personally and professionally.

This report provides a summary of Raptor Rehabilitation and conservation in the USA,

including education, animal training, veterinary procedures and care relating specifically to

raptors. It also details the highlights and lessons that were learnt and how these will be used

to benefit not only the top end’s raptor populations but those of Australia in general.

Acknowledgements I would especially like to thank the following people and organisations:

Mr Steve Martin and his Natural Encounters Inc. Team, Winter Haven Florida, The

Raptor Centre, University of Minnesota, The Carolina Raptor Centre, The

International Centre for Birds of Prey and the Alaska Raptor Centre.

The Territory Wildlife Park; whose significant support allowed me to attend the

animal training course and take leave from my position to pursue my passion.

Mr Dion Wedd, Dr Jerry Olsen and Dr Robert Riessen; my project referees, for

their kind and encouraging words.

My friends and work colleagues who have supported me through this process from

the application through to the reporting.

My parents, John and Kay Merry, whose love and support and introduction to

nature established my life long passion for birds and my sister Amanda Merry for her

constant love and support.

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, especially Meg Martin and Louise

Stenhouse and the late Mr Peter Mitchell deserve my greatest thanks, without them,

none of these experiences would have been possible. Your faith has helped me

experience that which I only imagined, you made the impossible possible and for that

I thank you!

One person remains to be thanked, that is Mike Rawnsley, my fiancé whose faith, support

and love gave me the confidence and strength to fulfil this fellowship and whose passion and

commitment to conservation is an inspiration to me.


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2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1 Project Details Name: Melissa Merry Occupation: Zookeeper and Animal Trainer Employer: Territory Wildlife Park, Darwin, Northern Territory Address: C/O Berry Springs Centre CMB Berry Springs NT 0838 Phone Home 08 8988 6826 Work 08 8988 7200 Mobile 0405 256 927 Email: [email protected] & [email protected] 2.2 Project Description: The aim of this fellowship was to study raptor rehabilitation, veterinary medicine and raptor conservation through education in the USA. During my eight week Peter Mitchell Churchill Fellowship, I was privileged to meet and learn from some of the world’s best, in the field of Raptor rehabilitation and veterinary medicine, animal training and Raptor Conservation using education. I visited five of USA’s premier rehabilitation and education facilities and gained experience and skills in the processes involved in raptor specific rehabilitation, their care and veterinary treatment, training, public education and infrastructure needed to maintain proper areas for raptors. I also developed a network of important contacts relating to the aims of the project. 2.3 Highlights Every day was a highlight but below are those which made the most impact:

6 day animal training course with Steve Martin in Orlando, Florida. 4 week internship at the world-renowned Raptor Centre at the University of

Minnesota. Seeing rehabilitation and conservation success stories; American Raptor species in

the wild that have successfully come back from the brink of extinction; Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, Osprey and the Californian Condor.

2.4 Major Conclusions and Dissemination of Information

The success of raptor rehabilitation hinges on the involvement and co-operation of numerous individuals and organisations

Fundraising and volunteers are imperative to these efforts and many centres would not exist without these two major contributing factors.

A Proper understanding of raptors’ ecology in the wild and threatening factors is needed and identification and protection of areas to return them to is critical.

Animal training can be used to present Animal shows that promote and support conservation in their own right.

There are differing views on the ideology and interpretation of conservation. Conservation of Raptors via release programs and other methods IS successful.

I will be disseminating the major lessons learnt from the fellowship directly through my work, through both formal and informal discussions with my colleagues and a presentation of my findings to our park’s staff, through the improvement of daily raptor flight shows from animal training experience, to the general public through my daily free flight shows and afterwards during meet the keeper talks. I plan to submit this paper to Birds Australia, the Australasian Raptor Association, Wildcare (Northern Territory’s rehabilitation network), weekly radio interviews on local ABC radio and by making this report available to all rehabilitators and trainers in Australia via the Winston Churchill Website.


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3.0 PROGRAMME Below is a table summarising the places, institutions and people visited during my 8 week fellowship to the USA.

Location Organisation People

9th March – 18th March 2007 United States of America (USA) Orlando,

Florida

Natural Encounters Inc, 7

day Animal training

Course

Steve Martin, Cassie Mallina, Eric Esden,

Wouter Stoullard, Rob Bules, Peta Clarke,

Nick Bishop

18th – 23rd March 2007 Charleston,

South Carolina

International Centre for

Birds of Prey

Stephen Schabel and Kristin Gordon

24th March – 27th March 2007 Charlotte, North

Carolina

Carolina Raptor Centre Mathias Engelmann

Elaine Corvidae, Ali Hayes, Betty O’Leary,

Louise Bhavnani, Nicki Dardinger, Heather

Merewood, Betty O'Leary, Alli Rogers, Jim

Warren.

1st April – 28th April 2007 St Paul,

Minnesota

The Raptor Centre,

University of Minnesota.

Lori Arent, Jane Goggins, Dr Luis Cruz, Greg

Hansen,

29th April – 5th May 2007 Sitka, Alaska Alaska Raptor Centre Dr Victoria Vosburg,


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4.0 The Fellowship Journey 4.1 The Inspiration Working at the Territory Wildlife Park, in Australia’s tropical top end, I have the privilege of

training and free flying Australia’s most spectacular bird group – raptors. Although not every

Australian would recognise the word “raptor” or realise its meaning, say the word “eagle” and

almost every Australian would respond with words like powerful, majestic and breathtaking.

Few people however, think of the disastrous effect that humans have had on these animals

and the pressures and threats which many of them live under. Even fewer would know what

to do if they found an injured raptor, where to take it or what they can do everyday to help

raptors stay safe and live long. My job at the wildlife park is to help the general public better

understand these birds by presenting daily free flight presentations so that visitors are better

informed about the bird’s requirements for survival and the threats posed by humans. This is

one of the most important contributions that can be made to the conservation effort of any

animal, as with better understanding comes empathy and with empathy comes the will to

participate in an animal’s future. As Baba Dioum, a Senegalese environmentalist said in

1968:

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. Love only what we understand. Understand

only what we are taught.”

Figure 1. Melissa Merry with Jesse, a Wedge-tailed Eagle and junior rangers getting a closer

look, Territory Wildlife Park, NT.


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The Territory Wildlife Park gets many injured raptors each year and as we are not equipped

or staffed to house the majority of these birds, most are sent to wildlife carers to continue

with their rehabilitation. Although rehabilitation is not directly related to my position as a

zookeeper in the free flight area, thinking on this, I wondered how I might better understand

the process involved in the care, treatment and management of an injured raptor. I felt that if

I had a complete understanding of these issues relating to raptor rehabilitation, I would better

understand the raptors in my care and their requirements. I feel in the future, if funding can

be secured, a Tropical Raptor Rehabilitation centre can be established at the Territory

Wildlife Park and any experience that I may receive overseas would be useful if this ever

eventuated.

I also wondered how I could better understand Animal training, a profession that I only

recently began –and how to use this tool to conserve raptors in the Top End and Australia.

Australia, although well represented in wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians and animal

trainers, has little scope for zookeepers to further their understanding and gain knowledge in

these areas with specific reference to raptors through hands on experience via courses,

lectures, and internships. The United States of has a wealth of raptor specialists, and this

has created an enormous collection of raptor rehabilitation centres, education programmes,

free flight shows and related information. This was the inspiration behind my to travel to the

United States of America to learn from some of the world leaders in the field of rehabilitation,

veterinary medicine, conservation and animal training

4.2 My Goals The goals of my eight week fellowship were:

To learn about raptor conservation and rehabilitation methods used successfully in the

USA.

To learn about the necessary requirements to successfully promote and actively take part

in raptor conservation.

To gain a better understanding of education programmes, community involvement and

public interaction and how to use these to facilitate funding for raptor conservation in the

Northern Territory, throughout Australia and how this could also be applied at the Territory

Wildlife Park.

To increase my knowledge, experience and confidence in training raptors and animals for

educational displays.

To learn about raptor veterinary medicine and how I can apply this knowledge at the

Territory Wildlife Park.


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To establish contacts from around the world in relation to raptor conservation,

rehabilitation, veterinary medicine and animal training and to share and impart knowledge

that may benefit both animals and people.

4.3 Australian Raptors; why do we need rehabilitation & conservation? Rehabilitation

The major reason Raptors are brought to veterinary clinics is usually through some form of

human action either direct or indirect: car collisions, collisions with other objects, intentional

harm or mistreatment, poisoning or entanglement in rubbish or electricity wires. Birds which

have fatal injuries are euthanized, but those considered having a chance, after initial

treatment, need rehabilitation to be released back to the wild. Some do not survive this

process while some are released and some may be maintained as captive raptors to

participate in education programmes.

Rehabilitation is an important part in the process of recovery of the bird and ensures that the

bird is both physically and mentally fit to return to the wild

However, it can be a daunting process to those unaware of the processes involved and the

requirements specific raptors. The process involves knowledge and understanding of the

importance of monitoring and assessing the bird’s health, and all other requirements such as

correct handling techniques, food requirements, provision of adequate holding facilities and

aviaries, understanding the effects of human contact and imprinting and correctly interpreting

raptor specific behaviour. Inappropriate handling and care techniques can often result in

damage to both the carer and the raptor, so it is imperative that wildlife carers and

rehabilitators are acutely aware of the specific requirements for caring for raptors to ensure

their safety and the success of the programmes.

Throughout Australia there are fewer than a dozen raptor specific rehabilitators and there are

even fewer in the tropical north. The tropical north is where the majority of Australia’s

threatened raptors are found (Baker-Gabb, 1994) so it is vitally important that there are

carers and professionals ready and adequately prepared to cope with the care, treatment,

rehabilitation, release of tropical raptors and possibly breeding programmes, if deemed

necessary.


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Conservation

Since European settlement, all raptors, like many other animals species, have undergone

dramatic changes to habitat, prey and their population densities. Some have adapted well,

whilst others have not.

Presently in Australia and its external territories (Christmas Island), 5 diurnal raptors are threatened or near threatened (EPBC Act) and (Debus, 2005) Red Goshawk: Vulnerable Wedge-tailed Eagle: Tasmanian Subspecies Endangered Brown Goshawk: Christmas Island- Critically Endangered Grey Falcon: near threatened Letter-winged Kite: proposed as near Threatened All of the above raptors except the Christmas Island Brown Goshawk are found in the Northern Territory.

A further 7 diurnal raptors are threatened in some states: Osprey: Vulnerable in NSW, SA. Square-tailed Kite: Vulnerable in NSW, Vic, SA. Black Breasted Buzzard: Vulnerable in NSW, SA. White-bellied Sea Eagle: Vulnerable in Vic, Tas, SA. Grey Goshawk: Vulnerable in VIC, Tas, SA. Peregrine Falcon: Vulnerable in SA. Black Falcon: proposed as Vulnerable in Vic. Owls, considered nocturnal raptors, as they share similar characteristics to their diurnal counterparts, have 5 of their taxa threatened in some states and nationally. The Christmas Island Hawk Owl is listed as Critically Endangered. Powerful Owl: Vulnerable in Qld, NSW, Vic (i.e. all range states). Rufous Owl: Vulnerable in Qld. Barking Owl: southern subspecies Ninox connivens connivens Near-threatened; Endangered in Vic., Vulnerable in NSW, SA [Vulnerable or Endangered in sw WA?]. Sooty Owl: Vulnerable in NSW, Vic. Masked Owl: island subspecies Tyto novaehollandiae melvillensis (Tiwi Is) and T.n. castanops (Tas) Endangered; tropical T.n. kimberli Vulnerable; southern T.n. novaehollandiae Near-threatened; Endangered in Vic, Vulnerable in NSW, SA [Vulnerable or Endangered in sw WA?]. Grass Owl: Vulnerable in NSW, SA. Apart from the above listed diurnal raptors and owls, the following birds were identified in a report by Olsen (1998) as part of a Birds Australia Conservation Statement, as needing special attention and were of high priority to be further investigated via research: Letter-winged Kite: targetted research in Qld and NT [+ publication of Qld research]. Black-breasted Buzzard: targetted research in all range states. Red Goshawk: targetted research in NSW and Qld; recovery plans in tropical states. Black Falcon: targetted research in SA [+ NSW, Vic]. Grey Falcon: targetted research in all range states [+ publication of WA research].


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Powerful Owl: targetted research in Qld. Rufous Owl: targetted research in Qld. Barking Owl: targetted research in Qld and SA [+sw WA]. Sooty Owl: targetted research in Qld. Masked Owl: targetted research in Qld and western NSW [+ targeted research sw WA] Grass Owl: targetted research in all range states.

So although there are many species of Australian raptors with a conservation listing, many

are not well understood or studied. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to detect problems with a

species unless their ecology is properly understood and particularly difficult if awareness

regarding their situation is poor. This is why we should learn from similar problems

encountered overseas and not become complacent. Many countries have nearly lost their

majestic hunters of the skies:

In Scotland, the Osprey was near extinction due to human interference by way of illegal egg

collecting and poaching. The last recorded breeding pair was in 1916, however in 1954, a

pair returned to Scotland and helped out by conservationists and government bodies, the

nest and others that were found, were protected and guarded and have been breeding ever

since. By 2005, there were a recorded 200 breeding pairs and a major captive breeding

program was undertaken to ensure the survival of the species.

In the USA, the country’s national symbol, the Bald Eagle, was on the endangered list for

nearly four centuries, only recently being taken off. The Peregrine Falcon and Californian

Condor are two other raptor species to have come close to the brink of extinction due to

man. Only with concerted efforts by government and NGO’s have these species been

brought back. The Californian Condor however is still dangerously close to the edge.

All three are testament that the conservation of raptors is an important and successful

mission to pursue.

In order to maintain and improve Australia’s current raptor statistics, research and study into

raptor populations and their biology and ecology are vital, such as those identified by Olsen

(1998), as is the protection of areas which are of value to the taxa. Threats to the birds, such

as shooting, poaching and poisoning through agriculture chemicals, should also be taken into

account.

This is what constitutes conservation, a holistic approach involving cop-operation and

funding from all areas of society to ensure maximum rate of success.

To ensure the survival of these birds, conservation is a process which must be recognised,

accepted and embraced so that Australia’s ecosystems may be restored to a setting of self

sufficiency as much as can be achieved in this time of change.


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A small group of conservationists

The conservation movement with regards to raptors is relatively small and is undertaken by a

small number of individuals which specialise in the field and whose passion for increased

knowledge and understanding is vital to the survival of the movement. Birds Australia and

one of its specialist groups, The Australasian Raptor Association, contribute to raptor

conservation through countless hours of research and fundraising through many different

sources. Others organisations, such as the Society for the Preservation of Raptors in WA

and its various sister organisations provide educational programmes to the general public,

veterinary care and rehabilitation programmes for hundreds of Western Australian Raptor

species. By increasing the awareness of Australian raptors, more members of the general

public, students, professionals, industry and organisations may become involved in the

preservation of these magnificent creatures.


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5.0 Across the Globe 5.1 Raptor Rehabilitation, veterinary medicine and Conservation via education in the United States of America With many American Raptors having faced or facing uncertain futures, their conservation and

rehabilitation has been transformed into a specialist field and is well developed. My 8 week

Fellowship provided me with an in depth insight into what it takes not only develop the

programmes to help these raptors survival in the wild but to enable a greater understanding

of these birds and how to ensure they are ready for release through effective rehabilitation. I

also gained a thorough understanding of the ways in which these organisations use funding

to pursue their conservation missions. Animal training featured prominently in my fellowship

as this is a fundamental part of creating a conservation programme; people want to see the

animal you are talking about and encouraging them to help save, the animals that are used

need to be well trained to handle the stress of the interaction with public but also to display

their unique adaptations to inspire people to save them.

Each centre I visited had its own unique factor that I wished to experience and learn from

and each also had its specialty. Each centre that I did visit had one thing in common; an

extremely dedicated and passionate team of working professionals and volunteers whose

commitment to the well being of the raptors was amazing.

As I visited each of the centres for at least a week, an enormous amount of information was

gained, so this part of the report has been divided up into the centres visited and the

outcomes from each one.


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5.2 Natural Encounters Incorporated (NEI): 6 day animal training course with Steve Martin Orlando, Florida, USA. Many people believe animal training is simply for training animals to perform for OUR

pleasure and that it is of no benefit for the animal itself. Through my work at the Territory

Wildlife Park, I have learnt that animal training can benefit the animal the most by providing it

with a choice about its life and giving it some form of control when in a captive situation.

Myself and other zookeepers in the presentation area of our park, use animal training daily to

maintain our display birds and other animals for daily shows and husbandry purposes. For

example, daily weighing of birds to maintain and monitor weight, helping a bird acclimatise

(get used to) a new structure in the vicinity and teaching new routines for display in the show.

We strive to maintain an environment for our animals that gives them maximum time to do

what they do best.

The course I attended in Florida was the opportunity of a lifetime for me to further my

knowledge in this area. As Animal training is an emerging field in Australia with no courses or

training centres, a 6 day Animal Training Course with a world renowned agency was the best

decision I could’ve made. NEI is known for its progressive and successful animal training and

this is why I chose to attend this course.

What it involved: The course was held at Steve Martins property in Winter Haven, Florida. His private ranch

includes his personal residence, an education centre, and numerous facilities to house the

entire collection of birds and mammals.

Each day consisted of the following:

8.30am to 5.30pm

Morning quiz of previous day’s material.

1.5 hours of lectures and 15 minute bird training demonstration by Steve Martin

1.5 hours of Guided bird training and practice

Lunch

1.45 hours of afternoon lectures

2 hours of guided bird training and practice

½ hour of debriefing about the day, our successes, problems and issues.

The course involved both lecture and practical training and served as an introduction for

beginner, intermediate and experienced animal trainers to the techniques, strategies and the


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application of positive reinforcement training. Steve Martin conducted all the lectures, but

received and often invited input from all his team leaders

The major focus of this course was hands on animal training with over 50 different types of

birds and mammals. Although there were 18 course participants, each person received

personal one on one training with their group leader and Steve Martin.

There were four teams with each team consisting of four or five members and a team leader.

Each group chose two group animals and then individual animals to train over the 6 day

period and on the last day all groups had to demonstrate what they had trained and explain

the process, including any problems they encountered.

The group that I was assigned to was fantastic. It consisted of two girls from Alaska from the

Bird Treatment and Learning Centre, who had experience with a variety of birds, including

raptors and were looking to improve their animal training skills for use with corvids for

educational purposes. The other, from northern Idaho, was a master falconer and raptor

biologist, who ran a self-funded raptor rehabilitation centre from her house. All three women

were incredibly fun to train with and provided me with many details about their own

experiences. I learnt a lot from informal conversations with all three women, about their

experiences, problems and solutions about the care, treatment and education training

involved with raptors. Being in a group situation training animals, also taught me patience,

understanding and co-operation.

Our group chose to train: 3 crows, three raptors, a Marabou Stork and a Blue Cheeked

Amazon Parrot.

The great thing about this course was that the majority of the birds that were being trained

had already been trained to some degree and were in a rest stage. So their training

progressed quite quickly which meant as a trainer, you became more confident in your skill

and got to see how quickly training can occur. It was also rewarding watching other people

learning and training as it gave you a different perspective; it showed me what the situation

looked like from the outside and gave me useful insight into how I was reading the bird’s

behaviour. We helped each other with problems and solutions and although we were all at

different skill levels, we motivated and encouraged each other to individually perform above

our own expectations.


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What I learnt:

Having only ever trained raptors in my professional career and dogs at home as a child, I

learnt a lot about myself and my application of techniques. The intensive nature of the course

was challenging but a successful way to impart knowledge.

I became a more confident person with regard to my techniques and successes in animal

training, knowing that I am capable of training animals successfully using operant

conditioning techniques.

Discovering the power that animal training can have in relation to conservation was another

aspect that I found fascinating. By inspiring people to donate money that will go directly to in

situ conservation projects worked surprising well and in one instant, NEI raised over $40 000

in 24 days from after show donation boxes where ravens would take people’s money.

Although the Territory Wildlife Park’s Free Flight section has been using positive

reinforcement as a training technique for several years, thanks to my current supervisors‘

implementation, it was reassuring to see that similar methods are used successfully, not just

by NEI but by many professionals from around the world. It gave me an enormous sense of

pride to think that our techniques are on par with some of the best in the world and that we

are striving in the right direction. I sharpened my theoretical knowledge of animal training,

practised and applied the techniques with different animals and different situations under

supervision and learnt about the broader applications that positive reinforcement can have,

such as with people in our everyday lives.

The benefit of this knowledge gained to my employer although difficult to quantify, will be

evident in my improved confidence as an animal trainer under supervision from my

supervisor, improved personal understanding of much of the reasoning behind certain

techniques and the ability to use initiative at the precise instant needed during a training

session, helping design new free flight animal show with new animals such as parrots and by

encouraging new fundraising techniques to directly benefit top end and Australian raptors.

Some fundamentals that were instilled in me:

Training has huge value in relation to education, conservation, husbandry, medica

procedures, enrichment, for the animal, the caregivers themselves and for the

institution/zoo.

Positive reinforcement is a successful way to teach animals ways to help themselves

take control of their situation.

Motivation of animal – always evaluate form animals perspective.

Move my training at the animal’s pace- animals are quick learners, it is only limited by

your imagination.

That I can train animals.


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Figure 2. Melissa and a Marabou Stork in Guided training with Steve Martin, NEI Animal

Training Course, Florida, USA.

Although I knew that animal training had far greater applications than training animals for

public displays, I had rarely seen this in action or talked to people who used it. I discussed

with other animal trainers attending the course, different strategies they used to enrich their

animals lives in captivity by using positive reinforcement to allow the animals to make

choices.

This was one of the greatest parts about the course: the opportunity to communicate with

animal trainers from around the world, learning about their problems and successes and

sharing knowledge.

I learnt and observed trainers demonstrating various husbandry training such as teaching

Macaws to lift their feet up on cue to accept nail trimming and Keas accepting crating (being

put into box/pet pack for transport) and actually walking in the crate and shutting the door. I

also learnt about the positive influences of using trained animals to impart knowledge and fun

on people and how this can inspire people to give generously via donations that are used

directly conservation projects


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Overall, the 6 Day Animal Training course was one of the highlights of my fellowship and I

would recommend to any animal trainer, raptor trainer or zookeeper, to seriously consider

attending a course. The experience of hands on animal training with guidance, the

opportunity to observe and study enclosure design and the chance to informally discuss with

animal trainers, zookeepers, veterinarians and other professionals, issues both they and

myself had, was priceless.

Figure 3. Melissa flying a Green-winged Macaw, NEI Animal Training Course, Florida, USA.

The experiences at the NEI Animal training course helped me achieve greater understanding

of how to use animal shows to capture people’s imagination and to choose to actively

participate in conservation through fundraising. I discovered the importance of animal

training not just to humans but to the animal itself, learned new ways to deal with problems

regarding animal training situations at my work, gained and cemented many useful contacts

from trainers, zookeepers and other professionals from around the world.


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I believe that the above is testament to the importance and benefit that this course will have

to me both professionally and personally and experiences gained to benefit the raptors in our

care at the Territory Wildlife Park and those wild populations in the top end.


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5.3 International Centre for Birds of Prey, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. I spent three days visiting The International Centre for Birds of Prey in Charleston, South

Carolina and came to study their state of the art facilities, education programmes and

conservation of raptors. The International centre for Birds of Prey (ICBOP) is an extremely

large facility thanks to the generosity of a local attorney, who donated 152 acres of natural

forest for the centre to redevelop. This centre has numerous large enclosures for over 100

individual birds.

For the three days spent at the ICBOP, I spent my time doing the following:

Observing the Education team, plus several other volunteer team members, giving

education programmes.

Observed several training sessions of different birds including an American Kestrel,

Great Horned Owl and Black Vultures.

Observing the general husbandry of their raptor collection.

Observed and studied their infrastructure including holding cages/tethering areas and

transport cages.

The International Centre for Birds of Prey is an exceptionally presented raptor centre: it has

modern infrastructure and facilities and a master plan, that when completed, will be the envy

of many USA raptor centres. The sheer size of the centre is quite amazing, with its large

raptor aviaries set amongst the natural forests of South Carolina, meandering paths passing

through a collection of over 100 individual birds.

Volunteers

This centre was the first of many that I visited which had a large number of dedicated

volunteers working longs hours to ensure all raptors were cared for to the highest standard. I

was thoroughly impressed with the service provided by these volunteers. The centre

understands that without the dedication of their volunteers, they would not physically be able

to get everything done each day. The volunteers assist with daily cleaning of aviaries,

educational programmes and training and feeding of raptors. They also assist with education

programmes, mostly off site. There were also the services of general service interns who

were unpaid but received hands on training in raptor handling, training and education work,

so that one day they too may work at the centre. The majority of volunteers that I met came

for short periods, such from 9-12pm each Monday or just for a four hour education

programme. They were passionate about raptors and the mission of the centre and showed

dedication and commitment.


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Education Programmes

I really enjoyed the time spent with the education team on excursion to a school environment

education day, where I watched the presentation of several raptor conservation shows.

Figure 4. Stephen Schaebel presenting a raptor education program, International Centre for

Birds of Prey, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

The set up and presentation of the mobile raptor display was an area I was particularly

interested in utilising at the Territory Wildlife Park. The format of the show was centred on

raptor conservation and how people are linked to raptors and their survival and how we can

help by doing our part to protect them. This included talking to the children about how birds

come to be at places like vets, how littering can cause their deaths and also raptors unique

adaptations that allow them to be powerful predators of the skies. Seeing hundreds of young

children between become engaged and enthralled by the prospect of having a bird fly over

their heads and how involved and attentive they were, showed me the success of simple

actions. They asked many questions and seemed well educated by the end of the session

as when the presenters asked them various questions about things that had been in the

show, the majority of children remembered. I think this was a good measure of showing how

successful the programme was.


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Facilities

The aviaries of the centre were divided into two areas: those of the working raptors, which

are used for education programmes and are in training and the non-working raptors, many of

which are unreleasable or breeding pairs.

The areas that the non working raptors were housed were enormous.

Figure 5. Non-working raptor aviary at International Centre for Birds of Prey, Charleston,

South Carolina, USA.

The majority of these raptors were for exhibit purposes only and consisted of birds that were

not trained for presentation but simply kept due to being unreleasable or for breeding

purposes. The majority of these structures were wood based and consisted of plastic coated

mesh, wooden slats and nylon, mesh for cover. Gravel was the preferred substrate and the

enclosures had partly covered roofs, allowing ample sunlight to penetrate the areas. Natural

perching and man-made ledges covered in astro turf were plentiful inside each enclosure

and needed to be as some had over 5 birds living there.

All of the aviaries are quite high, approximately 15m, and some of the larger aviaries are up

to 30m in length, whilst smaller ones are around 15m. There was an enclosed walkway,

which housed cleaning equipment, transport crates and scales. The design of the aviary


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complexes is exceptional and is a design that could be modified for tropical conditions here

at the Territory Wildlife Park.

All the birds are housed in raptor family groups, i.e owls, old world vultures, new world

vultures, falcons, sea eagles, kites, caracaras etc, and this is done for when the area is

eventually open to the public and also to make daily care a little easier.

The centre has two areas close to their main kitchen where birds can be tethered. These

were fully enclosed on gravel substrate.

Figure 6. Tethering area for working birds at International Centre for Birds of Prey,

Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

These birds are the “working” birds that are being or already trained for flights and

educational displays. The area where these birds are trained is a large football ground size

field in the centre of the property, with no obstructions and several perches on the side as

well as numerous trees bordering the ground. Seeing a falcon being trained to a lure was an

exciting experience in such a large area as the bird was able to reach such high speeds,

making the stoop (dive) for the lure even more thrilling. This area is a great training tool, as

there are few obstructions when a bird was on the creance and provided enough room for

the bird to demonstrate speed and long flights. When the centre is fully complete this will be


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a flying field that will be used for public displays and will most probably have seating around

the outside. It will be a fantastic experience for anyone to watch.

Conservation

At the time of my visit, the majority of conservation work I observed was through their

education programme. By enabling people an insight into the raptors world, by engaging

children and by helping people understand how they can do their small part to help. But the

centre also takes part in numerous conservation and research projects which include hacking

out Bald Eagle chicks on the property, doing migration counts of raptors, as the property is

under one of the major flyways for migratory raptors and enlisting the publics’ support to

conduct Swallow-tailed Kite surveys.

My time spent with the team at the ICBOP was great and I was impressed with their facilities.

I feel that I gained knowledge in regards to education programmes and how to use these to

effectively teach the younger generation about raptor conservation and how they can do their

part. I learnt about the construction of raptor aviaries, using different materials and styles. I

was also impressed with their research and how the community was involved in helping to

monitor several migratory species of raptors, such as the Swallow Tailed Kite.


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5.4 The Carolina Raptor Centre Like many rehabilitation centres, the Carolina Raptor Centre, in Charlotte, North Carolina,

started out as a small centre, with dedicated volunteers with a passion for raptors. It has now

grown into a large commercially viable operation, focusing on environmental education and

the conservation of birds of prey through public education, rehabilitation and research.

I visited the organisation for 5 days and was impressed by the facility and infrastructure and

also by the sheer amount of work hours that the volunteers contribute. I was astounded at

their commitment and dedication to the centre and discovered that it is how the centre exists

today. Without the volunteers, the centre would have difficulty running.

What I did:

Was introduced to raptor rehabilitation by working in the medical clinic, observing

medical exams, feeding, cleaning and record organising

Observed infrastructure such as raptor aviaries; including the large sponsored Eagle

aviary, materials used and the construction process.

Observed the education programme being conducted in the mini arena and had

conversations with education director in regards to programmes conducted and how

they were organised with staff, transport and advertising.

Observed the development of new season school holiday raptors education free flight

show and witnessed great teamwork, training and gained some new ideas for

introducing animals.

Talked with CEO and general manager about large scale fundraising including

corporate sponsorship.

The Carolina Raptor Centre is a well known education centre in the Charlotte region thanks

to its excellent advertising programme, word of mouth and community involvement. For the

five days I was there, I saw several school groups a day come through and several hundred

visitors. This was not bad considering that the main holiday period hadn’t started yet.

The Raptor Centre is located in Latta Plantation Nature Reserve which is a large recreation

and historical reserve where visitors can hike, bike, horse ride and picnic. Being situated

within this reserve is an excellent free advertisement as people can visit more than one

attraction and often may come only to horse ride but end up visiting the raptor centre after

seeing the signs.

With a large eagle sculpture at the front, the centre isn’t hard to miss and from the car park is

an easy walk to the main building. This area has a fabulous raptor themed gift shop and


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information areas regarding Carolina Raptors. This is where the admission fee is paid and

visitors are given a map of the 3km walk around the centre grounds, which is a lovely

woodland walk past various non-releasable raptors housed in aviaries each with their own

individual and species stories. The interpretation is high quality, simple and easy to

understand and also provides stories relating to conservation. There is a large eagle aviary

built by the local power company that is four storeys high and the size of half a football field

and is the only one on the Carolinas. It houses non-releasable Bald and Golden eagles and

creates a great experience for centre visitors.

At different times of the week and throughout the year, the centre has a diverse range of

activities encouraging community involvement and support at the centre.

Rehabilitation

Several Hundred metres away is the rehabilitation centre and rehabilitation aviaries. This two

storey building houses the main office and reception for rehabilitation, several treatment

rooms, several rooms for holding cages, food preparation /kitchen, a surgery and upstairs

storage and offices. The centre receives over 700 injured raptors per year, which are either

brought in or picked up by volunteers. The vast majority of these raptors are admitted as a

result of some type of human involvement, either directly or indirectly. Of this number, over

60% are eventually released back to the wild.

As there is no vet on staff, most procedures are done by trained staff and surgery is

scheduled on an as needed basis with a lot of the work being done pro bono. At the time of

my visit there were 25 raptors being housed inside the centre and 70 outside in various

stages of the rehabilitation process.

My time spent with the rehabilitation staff gave me my first insight into raptor rehabilitation. I

saw several stages of the rehabilitation process from the admittance of a new bird to the final

stages of release.

I learnt about the admitting process about the first and most important exam when a new bird

is admitted and what areas need to be covered: look at the overall condition, any obvious

injuries, then go through the bird carefully to find other injuries, look at the head, eye, ears,

beak, keel, feet, wings, and then feel through and around all major joints of the bird. This

information is recorded after the birds’ initial assessment so that on subsequent check days

each assessor knows the progress and treatment to give.

Once a bird is past the critical or convalescence stage, they are moved out to an appropriate

outdoor aviary, where they can begin their next state of rehabilitation. This mainly consists of

increasing physical fitness and body condition. This is monitored daily by volunteers who do


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the daily feed out. Depending on the birds’ original condition, it can take anything up to 4

months before the bird is ready for release.

The centre works with a number of organisations in order to maintain its high level of care.

Their transport is sponsored by a car company who supplied three vans for emergency

pickups and off site education programmes. They have veterinary surgeons who do much

work pro bono. They work closely with the local university and are also involved in a number

of research projects including barred Owls, Osprey and Bald Eagle Surveys. They also work

closely with United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), by banding all released birds

with USFWS bands and providing valuable data and experience when needed.

Volunteers

The volunteers account for a lot of the working hours and if all their hours are combined it

would equal 10 full time employees. They are looked after by a volunteer co-ordinator who

screens and interviews them, they are then subject to strict regime of courses according to

what level they join at. Generally throughout the year there are refresher courses and

courses for those volunteers who would like to move to different areas. This course structure

is a great way to ensure that all volunteers are up to the same standard and that they are

aware of all procedures and policies.

Conservation through education – What they do best: The centre averages around 25 000 visitors per year and is open most days of the year.

However, including its education programmes both on and off site, the centres education

programmes reach more than 150 000 people every year. It has a large range of

experiences both on and off site and is extremely successful, so much so, that the demand

for some programmes is so great, that schools have to book months in advance. The centre

has developed a range of education programmes that are high quality and are regularly

monitored for their effectiveness.

These programmes are fun, entertaining and informative without being hard to understand.

They are themed around humans impact upon the raptors in Carolina and how we can help

minimise this impact by doing little things like recycling our rubbish, not littering, protecting

our forests and other natural land reserves, putting up nest boxes and travelling slowly on the

road.


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Figure 7. Flight Arena, Carolina Raptor Centre, Charlotte, USA.

Admission is inexpensive; $6 adults and $4 for kids with discounts for groups and the elderly.

They conduct several live presentations each weekend and group ones by arrangement.

They also conduct around 500 educational programmes per year, with 2/3 of them being off

site mostly at schools. They conduct meet the keeper talks on the second weekend of every

month, so visitors can talk to a keeper and ask questions about the birds, Triva Talks, which

are guided throughout the property, Behind the scenes tours, charged at an extra rate from

admission and throughout the middle of the year during main holidays, a free flight show.

There are also several different monthly activities such as the Winter Festival, Photo Wild

where visitors can do wildlife photography and have it auctioned to raise money for the

centre, Earth Day, “Take Flight” an annual event and dinner where proceeds are raised for

the centre and the Halloween Hoot and Howl. Apart from this large range of signature events

there are tailored programmes such as birthday parties and group functions and it is all of

these events which help to support the centre and carry out its main function, the

rehabilitation of injured raptors and to take part in important research.

As an example of the centres fundraising success, Last year alone from the “Take Flight”

gala dinner over $125 000 was raised.


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This is a conservation centre that has realised the value of operating as a business, for

economic productivity, as any other business would, except their mission is to enable the

business to fund the true cause which is the conservation of raptors in Carolina and America.

This outlook was demonstrated in the meeting I had with Managing Director Jim Warren and

Chief Operating Officer, Allan Barnhart. They were adamant that they had found a successful

model and it is demonstrated in their large number of private and corporate sponsorship and

the growing nature of the business. It has won many accolades, received several grants and

has partnerships with the likes of Discovery channel. The diversification of products offered

by the centre is one of the reasons behind their success. There is something for everyone!

The Carolina Raptor centre was an inspiration to me and I believe that there are some great

lessons that the Territory Wildlife Park could learn and some new strategies that could be put

in place to reinvigorate our park, its visitation and the experience. Below are some new ideas

that I believe could be of great benefit to the park.

Gain vehicle sponsorship from an environmentally friendly Car Company for a vehicle

for mobile displays, school visits and community events.

Develop strategies to attract corporate and private sponsorship.

Conduct regular meet the keeper programmes- these only need to be half an hour in

duration and regular behind the scenes tours.

The creation of annual events and fundraisers- that may include fairs and festivals.

This may help raise the parks profile and much needed funds.

The induction of a Committee of zookeepers for holiday and other event programs

that could liaise with the marketing manager to design new ides for each event a year

in advance.

Design a new volunteer programme to encourage more volunteers to regularly help

out at the park, by providing a structure learning environment and recognition for their

efforts.

Get volunteer manual for raptor section completed to enable volunteers to start

helping out. Which may be as simple as 1 hour each day to clean raptor cages and

flight aviaries, etc

This centre proved to me that through creating a profitable business to fund the

conservation of an animal species, real progress can be made and I hope that more

conservation programmes begin to learn from this great model. The Carolina Raptor

Centre is a wonderful example of how dedicated individuals can make a difference and

help the younger generation to become inspired to help conserve our raptor species.


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5.5 The Raptor Centre, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA. Raptor veterinary medicine is not a well developed science in Australia and only a handful of

veterinary surgeons have extensive and detailed knowledge relating to Raptors specifically. It

is for this reason that I chose to apply for a four week internship at the Raptor Centre (TRC)

at the University of Minnesota.

I was given the unique opportunity to spend time with passionate and highly skilled raptor

medical professionals, including veterinary surgeons, technicians, rehabilitators and flight

trainers. I was fully immersed in raptor veterinary medicine for four weeks, and learnt more

than I could ever have imagined.

Facilities

TRC is part of the University of Minnesota and is situated on the St Paul campus, with its

own building, administration and staff. The facility is well presented and the facilities are of

an extremely high standard, it is a credit to all who began and have worked there.

There is a visitor centre on the upper level consisting of a gift shop, education corner,

education amphitheatre, display birds, a wall with the history of centre and its achievements,

taxidermied collection of birds, feet, etc and reception area for general enquiries. The upper

level also houses the education centre, staff and administration offices and training/storage

rooms for birds going out on mobile programmes.

The lower level houses the veterinary operation. There is a large laboratory, plus one

smaller for blood work and sampling, the main clinic with three treatments stations, (two with

anaesthesia machines), x ray room and developing room, storage and cleaning room and

surgery with two stations. Then there is the rehabilitation area at the back of the lower level

which consists of kitchen/food preparation area, laundry room, one room to house birds in

crates, and several other flight rooms to house birds in later stages of rehabilitation,

quarantine rooms and food freezer/storage rooms. Outside are flight pens for birds that are

almost ready for release. During winter these are only for the birds can withstand the colder

temperatures such as Bald Eagles and Owls.

Once again the majority of the 700 or so birds admitted each year, are done so as a result of

humans, either directly or indirectly. Some came in after hitting house windows, some found

on the side of the road, some with their beaks shot off, some with lead shot through their

entire body, others had been hit by golf balls, some fallen from nests. Most, somehow related

to humans.


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What the Internship involved:

My hours were 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and my duties involved assisting and

observing veterinary procedures.

My duties included:

Veterinary procedures; this included helping with patient admissions and daily

assessments of temporary resident birds such as administering anaesthesia and

monitoring heart rates, physical exams, x-rays, physical therapy, cleaning wounds,

bandaging and eye exams, giving fluids, vitamins, antibiotics via intra muscular

injections, feeding raptors, coping (trimming) beaks and talons, assisting in surgery

with installing fixators (like pins in human bones).

Flight Training raptors on the release list

Assisting with Education programmes to school

Having limited veterinary medicine experience and knowledge, especially with specific

reference to raptors, this internship was an extremely steep learning curve. From day one, I

was given the opportunity to be responsible for several simple procedures under direct

supervision by the resident veterinarian and other members of staff. No question I asked,

(and I asked many), went unanswered and I was treated like any other vet intern, with

respect and kindness. At times when I could not apply my skills, I shadowed the vet and

other staff members and volunteers taking numerous notes, photos and video footage.

Veterinary Skills I gained many new skills and I learnt an incredible amount about raptor veterinary medicine. I

learnt about admitting new patients and thorough body exams, how to administer and

monitor anaesthesia, how to give various types of injections for antibiotics, fluids and

vitamins, restraint techniques for x rays, force feeding of raptors, the insertion of external

fixators for broken bones, the treatments for minor abrasions, bruising and breaks, correct

bandaging techniques, and follow up exams on birds.


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Figure 8. Pumping Stomach of Bald Eagle with lead poisoning, The Raptor Centre,

University of Minnesota, USA.

Rehabilitation Work

Each day, whilst assisting the vet, I saw many patients for follow up exams and got to see

real progress on many of the birds going through the stages of rehabilitation. Although I saw

the amount of birds which unfortunately did not make it through the day, I also saw and

treated many birds that made trough the critical 24 hour period and were progressing each

day to a very probable and successful recovery.

Through each assessment, the bird should continually be improving in order to be

considered for eventual release. Those birds which come in with major eye, foot or wing

damage, that were untreatable, is euthanized, unless there is a chance that it may serve a

useful purpose as an education bird.

Depending on what type of injury a bird had sustained and how long they have been at the

centre will determine the required treatment, some may need more rest than others, some

may need more physical therapy on wings that have been strapped for a week or two.

Once a bird is deemed medically fit, it can then begin flight training. This consists of attaching

the bird to a long line (a creance) and being taken out to a field where it can get exercise and

begin to increase its fitness in readiness for release. After each flight session, the handlers

write up a report on the bird and how it did, so the rehabilitation co-ordinator can assess the


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bird’s progress. On first admission, all birds are given fluids and a vitamin shot and then prior

to release all birds are given a final exam, x ray and booster shot to ensure they are fit for

release.

The releases happen in spring when prey is in abundance and the weather is warmer. The

centre makes this an annual fundraising event; it is extremely well publicised in local media.

The release area is set up with a large podium on which the handlers stand with the birds.

The volunteers that have been there the longest are given the chance to release owls,

hawks, eagles and falcons. Throughout the day, there are lots of activities, both raptor and

non raptor related, for all ages and it is an important fundraising and awareness event.

Like the Carolina Raptor Centre, TRC works in collaboration with USFWS banding all

released birds and with other non- for profit organisations taking in injured raptors or giving

advice.

Figure 9. Melissa with a Red Tailed Hawk recovering from surgery, TRC, University of

Minnesota, USA.


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Education

TRC has a large education programme involving on and off site programmes. Interestingly,

none of the birds used are fully flighted or are flown for the programme. They have all

sustained some permanent disability, such as an eye or wing injury and are simply handled

on the glove and then kept in pet crates or tethered when not handled. Back at the centre

they are held in large aviaries.

On site, there is a small indoor amphitheatre, where schools and other groups can learn

about Minnesota’s raptors, there is the raptor corner where children can come each weekend

and learn about the veterinary work the TRC does. The centre is open 7 days a week for

visitors to come and learn more about raptors in their own time. There are also Off site

programmes conducted in schools and community areas both within Minnesota and outside

the state to various fairs and conventions. Usually one staff member travels with four birds,

usually an owl, a Bald Eagle, a falcon and a hawk. They are set up in a large Van with a

trolley, trestle table and various displays such as taxidermied raptor feet and wings. These

education programmes are very similar to those I observed at the International Centre for

Birds of Prey in Charleston. They focus very much on raptors and their conservation how we

can all do our bit to help save them. None of the birds are flighted and all have some form of

permanent injury making them unreleasable. They are held on the glove and the presenter

engages the children in various question and answer type scenarios. They use a style that is

both engaging and informative.

Volunteers

The raptor centre has over 200 volunteers who contribute an extraordinary amount of time,

effort and skill to TRC. There are many who have been with the centre for over 10 years and

some for over 15 years. The dedication is astounding and their commitment to turn up on the

same day, year after year, is incredible. I had the chance to work with many of these lovely

people whose skills were imperative to the release of many birds. Volunteers are almost

entirely responsible for the care, handling, feeding and cleaning of the raptors in

rehabilitation, and are also required to handle the birds for veterinary examinations, flight

train the birds or release and build and fix cages as required, prepare food and give

medications as required.

Volunteers are divided into certain areas: clinic, flight crew, education and transport and

those that work at the centre are broken down into am and pm shifts. There are no set hours

but mornings start at around 8am and go until all done, then pm shift starts around 4pm and

then until finished.


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All volunteers are overseen by a co-ordinator who screens and interviews each volunteer,

who is then passed onto the appropriate volunteer team leader who is then responsible for

their training. There are several courses that can be completed for improved knowledge and

there a certain amount of hours that must be served in order to move up to different levels of

work, like handing eagles.

Without the commitment and support from this strong volunteer base, TRC may not be where

it is today and each year the volunteers are honoured at an annual dinner and celebration.

Figure 10. Volunteer flight training a Bald Eagle, TRC, University of Minnesota, USA.


35

Conservation

From daily conversations with the staff and from reading their vast collection of raptor related

texts, I learnt a great deal about raptor conservation worldwide, in particular reference to the

many threats facing them for example: the fact that Ospreys are still hunted in some parts of

the Mediterranean, that lead shot continues to effect Bald Eagles and other raptors and the

vanishing habitats of South American raptors.

One the most hight contentious issues that TRC is involved in is the attempt to phase out

and eventually ban lead shot. Lead ammunition is deadly for birds that are shot by it and by

those that ingest it from scavenging on lead shot carcasses. Breaking up upon impact with

the body, lead shot can cause lead poisoning which is extremely distressing to the birds,

causing massive body shutdown and is very debilitating.

Around 25% of Bald Eagles admitted to TRC clinics are afflicted by lead poisoning and less

then 10% of those lead poisoned eagles this year have survived. With such a high mortality

rate, it is critical to know the exact source of the lead in order to fight the problem. The

Raptor Centre is working hard to determine the source of this lead by recovering the lead

found in each Bald Eagles and creating a database of the source. Having seen the

devastating effect that a small fragment of lead shot can have on a 5kg Bald Eagle first hand,

I know how important this research is but that also the education programme the TRC runs

regarding lead poisoning is critical.

Whilst at Minnesota, I was also lucky to spend time with Jackie Fallon, who is the regional

Peregrine Falcon nest site surveyor and I was fortunate to spend a ½ a day with her

surveying Peregrine Falcons nests. It was the start of the breeding season, so we only saw

two nest sites, one with a single egg laid in the last few days. Both these sites were at the top

of 40 story buildings in the middle of downtown Minneapolis. It was extraordinary to see a

raptor living a top a city sky scraper so contentedly. These sights are where birds have been

identified and banded and in some instances nest boxes set up. Around 85% of the

population is banded in the mid west, which enables the researches to determine many

things about the individual and the population in comparison with others across the USA. I

was privileged to see these falcons, which were once close to extinction across the USA.

Since 1974, over 4000 Peregrine Falcons have been captively bred and released into the

wild in the USA. This project was administered by the Peregrine Fund which fund and

oversee countless worldwide raptor conservation projects. The opportunity to witness a


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species that was close to extinction 40 years ago becoming successful parents in the middle

of a city was inspiring and demonstrated the possible success of conservation programmes.

The Raptor Centre at the University of Minnesota taught me a great deal about raptor care,

specifically raptor veterinary care. I feel that I achieved my goal of gaining new skills in raptor

veterinary medicine and although I do not work directly at the Territory Wildlife Park’s vet

centre, I have assisted with some raptor related surgeries and having this extra knowledge

can only benefit the animals and vet staff. We receive many public enquiries regarding

rehabilitating raptors and questions from the public after our formal free flight shows so

information that I have learnt at TRC can be readily used in these situations. One of the most

important aspects of my internships was establishing contacts with raptor veterinary

surgeons who will be a useful source of information regarding any questions our section or

the park’s veterinary surgeon may have.


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5.6 Alaska Raptor Centre, Sitka, Alaska, USA. Alaska is the sort of place one dreams about, one of the last frontiers, a place where only the

toughest people can survive but a virtual Eden for animals – snow capped mountains that

reach to the sky, intense deep blue oceans and eagles soaring so close you can almost

touch them. Not the sort of place you’d expect to find a raptor rehabilitation centre.

Set in the picturesque southern Alaskan town of Sitka on Baranoff Island, the Alaska Raptor

Centre is a first class rehabilitation facility whose primary focus is the care and treatment of

Bald Eagles. Bald Eagles are so common in Sitka, that it is possible to see 20 or more in one

day. With the surrounding oceans and inlets providing an endless supply of fish, birds and

other animals to hunt and scavenge, the island has a high population density.

But living in such close proximity to humans creates dangers and throughout Alaska, Bald

Eagles meet with electrocution, entanglement, poisoning, shooting and subsequent lead

poisoning.

The Alaska Raptor Centre facility is purpose built and incorporates outdoor raptor aviaries, a

huge eagle rehabilitation flight aviary which can be viewed on an upper level by visitors,

several indoor raptor aviaries, a veterinary clinic that can be viewed by visitors, an indoor

education arena, gift shop and a raptor walk through stunning conifer rainforest with

interpretive signage.

The centre is funded by donations and grants and much of the work is carried out by

volunteers who are responsible for the majority of the feeding and cleaning. These

volunteers also take part in many of the education programmes and there are docents who

are hired for the summer period to help out.

Each year from the second week of May, the centre is host to thousands of visitors from

passing cruise ships. Sometimes there is an influx of 5000 visitors per day to the town and

many come to the raptor centre to get up close and personal to the national symbol – the

Bald Eagle. Many make substantial donations and some even donate money to build new

flight aviaries. With such a large influx of people, the time from May to October is extremely

important to the centres’ survival, so it was upsetting to see that at the time of my arrival, the

Alaska Raptor Centre had suffered a devastating flood from a faulty water main and was in

the process of finishing the redevelopment and construction of its main visitor area and gift

shop. Assisting with both this and veterinary treatments, I was given the opportunity to

observe their facilities, education areas and birds, and even the release of a Bald Eagle.


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Figure 11. Flight Aviary for Bald Eagles at Alaska Raptor Centre, Sitka, Alaska, USA.

During my five day stay at the Alaska Raptor Centre, I learnt new ways to handle and

restrain wild eagles, restrain eagles during medical examinations and beak trimmings,

housing/flight aviary construction, the constraints of housing raptors in such an extreme

environment, I learned about their education programme and the difficulties in running a

centre with such seasonally spiked tourist numbers and the importance of volunteers.

As the majority of the birds that were having treatments or having their beaks trimmed were

wild, capturing and restraining them is a little different to what I am accustomed to at the

Wildlife Park where our birds are glove trained. Many of these eagles were in a large flight

aviary and had to be captured, put into pet crates and then restrained and hooded, so that

the vet and assistants could safely work with the bird. The birds were held as if being given a

hug from behind, with a firm grip of both feet around the talons and of both wings. This

provided an easy way for the vet to work as the bird was at their level not on a table below. A

great part of this exercise was the advice that we gave the vet and rehabilitator coordinator

another way to hold the birds beak when it was being trimmed. They liked it so much that


39

they are going to continue using this method. It was nice to see an exchange on information.

Capturing and restraining 5kg Bald Eagles whilst having their beaks trimmed was an

extremely challenging experience but one that will stay with me forever and has taught me

new techniques in handling wild raptors.

Figure 12. Melissa with a Bald Eagle, using new handling techniques, Alaska Raptor Centre,

Sitka, Alaska, USA.


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Probably one of the best parts of the visit to this centre was the chance to see the release of

a rehabilitated Bald Eagle who had been at the centre for several months. Having completed

the final assessment, the vet made the decision to release him that day so it was off on a

long walk with a heavy bird to the top of a nearby hill. On arrival, his hood was taken off and

simply placed on the ground and let go. It was an exhilarating site to see the eagle take off

and be returned to the wild.

The rehabilitation process here is similar to those that I observed during my visit to the other

centres. Birds are assessed and given necessary treatment and placed either back in small

crates or into large flight pens, depending on the reason for admittance. Once they are ready

for the large flight aviary, they are released into quite possibly the best rehabilitation flight

aviary I have ever seen.

It is about 3 stories high, some 45m in length and has a stream running through the centre

of it. It provides an excellent opportunity for birds to fine tune and practise their flights and for

rehabilitators to assess their progress and readiness for release. The eagles are fed a diet

consisting mostly of salmon and other local fish to boost their systems prior to release. The

birds are given a final assessment exam and then released on site.

Apart from rehabilitation, the Alaska Raptor Centre also has a great education programme

for the visiting cruise ship passengers where they can come up close to Bald and Golden

Eagles and learn about their unique characteristics. Birds and their handlers travel

throughout Alaska and the lower 48 states to as far away as Florida, helping young and old

get to know a little about the nation’s national symbol and how it has come back from only

around 450 breeding pairs. They run Adopt a raptor programmes, raptor passports and

birthday parties, all of which help educate people about the conservation of raptors.

Unfortunately, due to the flood, the majority of the birds from the Alaska Raptor Centre had

been sent elsewhere so the only birds that were seen during my visit were four Bald Eagles

requiring medical attention for breathing difficulties and beak trimmings. Although this was

unfortunate, I was glad to be able to assist helping this great centre get back on its feet for its

main tourist season and that I was able to learn new eagle handling and restraint techniques

and flight aviary/mews construction and design. I made several friends and contacts with the

centres Veterinary surgeon and rehabilitators so I hope that I will be able to continue to

exchange information and perhaps visit the centre again in the future.


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6.0 CONCLUSIONS We are currently experiencing and living in one of the most volatile times in the history of our

world. Trying to come to terms with issues such as Global Warming and Climate Change,

drought, diminishing natural resources and terrorism, all Australians are now acutely aware

of how their lives can be changed in an second and how their lives are intimately linked to

the world around them.

With this new awareness, the Australian people are becoming more responsible for their

actions and it is at this time that conservation is ready to be at the forefront of Australians’

minds.

I hoped that my eight week fellowship might give me new ideas and information regarding

conservation and how I might better inspire people to help conserve our predators of the

skies and how to inspire them to become involved in the process. I hoped that I could

somehow show the visitor that just as their lives can be changed in second, so can that of a

Raptor but that they can help turn that around.

I am pleased to say that this fellowship achieved just that and much more. It exceeded my

expectations and surpassed all of the goals that I set out with to achieve. I learnt more than

can be put into words regarding the care and treatment of injured raptors and so much of that

from observing and asking questions. Since returning I have been speaking with my

workmates and supervisor about my experiences and daily going through photos of each

centre regarding animal training, new shows, veterinary care and treatment and cage

construction. It was exciting for them to also hear that our wildlife park and particularly the

raptor section is just as good as those larger, more financially viable centres in the USA and

that we are on par with some of the best in the world.

I learnt about the importance of animal training and its applications, the facilities and design

of large rehabilitation centres, education programmes and conservation efforts being made

on behalf of birds of prey.

Learning for me is much more than sitting back and watching, it is about questioning what

you see, understanding what you do and actively participating so that the process is better

appreciated and understood.

I did all those things whilst on my fellowship and found that I came home with so much

information that it was hard putting it into words.


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Below is a summary of the conclusions from my fellowship to the USA to study raptor

rehabilitation and conservation through education in the USA:

1. The success of raptor rehabilitation relies on the willingness, support and involvement

of many individuals and groups: from the transporter, to the vet, from the flight trainer to the

community action group that is trying to save the bird’s habitat.

Raptor Conservation and Rehabilitation is multi-faceted field and requires a combination of

techniques and many individuals and professions so that the goal can be achieved. Many

government departments must be solicited for help to ensure the effective operation of

breeding programs, bird surveys, research and funding.

2. It relies on expert veterinary care and treatment, plus monitoring and assessment

programmes to ensure each individual bird is ready for release.

Immediate care is critical to the survival of the bird and if processes are in place to

transport the bird quickly and safely to a certified professional there is an increased chance

of its survival.

3. Fundraising and volunteers are two of THE most important aspects which enable the

work at centres to continue, most would not exist without these two major contributing

factors.

Fundraising is a necessary requirement for centres and through imaginative programmes;

these centres raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. This money goes directly

to the rehabilitation process and conservation effort. Volunteers make up a great deal of

this effort and their use enables medical and rehab professionals to better ensure their

patients outcomes and successes by providing more time for detailed analysis and

treatment.

4. Conservation agencies must have a proper understanding of raptor ecology in the

wild, they must have an understanding of factors that threaten wild populations and we

must identify and protect suitable areas of habitat where birds are to be released.

Captive breeding programs to ensure the survival of a species are pointless unless there

are suitable, safe areas in which offspring can be released. There must be research into

and monitoring of wild populations and their ecology to determine the requirements of each

species so that suitable areas are preserved.


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5. Animal training can directly benefit conservation efforts. It can be used to present

Animal shows that promote and support conservation in their own right and secure large

amounts of money by increasing the awareness of the visitor.

Animal training is an area which many people think is just for producing showy productions

to entertain visitors. I discovered this is not the case and in fact it can be most useful in a

captive animal’s life by enriching it and more importantly, by allowing the animal to have a

choice. It is very useful and probably most important when being used for husbandry

techniques.

6. There are differing views on the ideology and interpretation of conservation.

There should be more inter-agency communication and discussion to encourage a unified

approach so that there is no competitive nature regarding funding, support and

engagement from various individuals and organisations.

7. Most importantly, that rehabilitation and conservation through education is successful

and is a key factor in the survival of many raptor species.

The most important lesson I learnt from my extraordinary travels overseas is that raptor

conservation and rehabilitation is successful, but only if there is suitable habitat to return

them to. This is not only what they rely on but what we also need for our survival so by

raising awareness for raptor conservation, raising funds to ensure large tracts of land are

secure, by teaching our children respect and understanding of raptors needs, by presenting

shows, by showing our willingness as a business to participate, it will encourage all people

to give a little, to save our environment.

As the Peregrine Fund of USA has said, Raptors act as an umbrella of conservation for all

species. By actively conserving the species and their habitats we inadvertently conserve

other animals also.

6.1 Dissemination My work at the Territory Wildlife Park provides me with an amazing opportunity to influence

people’s opinions and actions. Public demonstrations using free flight birds and other

animals, including interaction between visitor and animal, has proven to be successful in

teaching people far more than interpretative signs.

My work supervisor and colleagues have been keen to hear of my experiences and learn of

ways to improve our training, to discover how we can become more involved in raptor


44

conservation through fundraising and school programs, etc and be of greater assistance to

our veterinary staff by utilising the new medical skills I have acquired. Every day

conversations that we have as a team are of great benefit to us all, as through discussion we

discover new ideas, problems and solutions to help presentation raptors and to improve our

education talks.

I am presently working with my supervisor and colleagues to develop new education

programmes and marketing displays to be used both on and off park to improve public

awareness and understanding of Australia’s raptors.

Our goal is to create a brilliant and achievable free flight show showcasing and teaching our

conservation mantra.

In the near future, I plan to present presentations at work, submit various articles to key

organisations Australia wide including Environment Centre NT, Birds Australia, Australian

Conservation Fund and the Australasian Raptor Association.


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7.0 Recommendations The conservation of Australian raptors is not an easy task. Like any conservation effort, it is

multi-faceted and requires public support, co-operation, knowledge and input of many

individuals and organisations, both government and non government and funding from a

wide support base.

Community awareness and education is one of the biggest factors influencing conservation,

but probably the most important is the understanding of how we as an individual has an

effect on each living thing and how each action has an equal reaction and that reaction could

spell disaster for a raptor.

Act Local Think Global Continue to promote raptors and conservation through free flight shows at the

Territory Wildlife Park, which is of special importance during the Top End’s main

tourist season, when thousands of visitors flock to the top end and come into contact

with raptors.

Encourage our agency to become more involved and aware regarding raptors and

their conservation.

Ensuring raptors which are released are banded and accurate notes kept.

This can be done by implementing programs to raise funds for in situ conservation efforts

for top end, Australian and worldwide raptor research:

* Fundraising through our free flight show for research into tropical threatened raptors

– Red Goshawk, Rufous Owl, Masked Owl and Square Tailed Kite.

* Fundraising for Australia wide threatened raptors such as the Barking Owl, Powerful

Owl, Masked Owl, Grey Falcon, Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle and Christmas

Island Goshawk and Hawk Owl.

* Fundraising for world wide species such as the Californian Condor and

Madagascan Kestrel.

Ban all lead ammunition and implement new ammunition laws.

Initiate captive breeding programmes as required for the Masked Owl and Red

Goshawk at Territory Wildlife Park.

Encourage the implementation of a new volunteer programme, including a rigorous

selection, training and on going assessment programme, to help with zookeeper

workload and enable better work outcomes.

The pursuit and development of research and monitoring programmes in relation to

specific birds as identified by Olsen (1998) to gather knowledge of taxa that is little


46

known and to ensure changes can be detected, with particular reference to

population, breeding biology, ecology and habitat requirements.

Maintain connections with contacts from overseas institutions to ensure information

can be easily and readily exchanged.

Encourage more inter-agency communication.

Engage more public support, involvement and interaction in raptor rehabilitation and

conservation and to recognise that is plays an important role.

An annual Australian Raptor Conservation Conference.


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References Baker-Gabb, D. J (1994) Australasian Raptor Association News: Threatened Raptors of

Australia’s Tropical Forests, Vol 16.

Debus, S (2005) in Forum Report of the 2005 South East Queensland Raptor Futures

Forum, pp 3-4.

Olsen, P (1998) Australia’s raptors: Diurnal birds of prey and owls, Birds Australia

Conservation Statement, 2, supplement to Wingspan 8 (3).

Further information www.churchill.org

www.territorywildlifepark.com

www.nei.com

www.internationalbirdsofprey.org

www.carolinaraptorcentre.org

www.theraptorcentre.org

www.alaskaraptor.org

www.peregrinefund.org

the winston churchll memorial trust of australia · elaine corvidae, ali hayes, betty o’leary,...

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