A juvenile little blue heron was among the eighty-three animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week. Other admissions include an eastern screech owl, a roseate spoonbill, three green herons, a burrowing owl, a great horned owl, a barred owl, two evening bats and a Florida red-bellied turtle.
The little blue heron was a victim of the heavy rains that have occurred over the past few weeks. The heron was found trapped in the water under a fence surrounding a pond. Typically, the pond has shoreline around its perimeter; heavy rains caused the water level to rise and the little blue heron became trapped in the water under the fencing.
The heron’s rescuers waded through the water to remove it from the fence. When admitted, the heron was dull yet responsive to handling, had increased respiratory effort, wasn’t standing and had a laceration along its left wing which was bloody and swollen at the elbow. Hospital staff administered a quick acting pain medication, once it took effect staff performed laser therapy, took radiographs, and closely monitored the heron through out the afternoon. Additional pain medication, electrolytes, and Chinese herbs were provided early in the evening with the heron already beginning to show improvements in behavior and its mentation.
Over the course of the next three days, the heron’s treatment plan was altered as needed; daily laser treatments were continued to alleviate pain and promote healing along the injured wing and supplemental feedings were required since the heron would not eat on its own. The heron was perching and began eating on its own by the third day at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital allowing staff to minimize handling.
Harsh weather has affected other species of native wildlife as it did the little blue heron. Rain and winds have caused bird nests to deteriorate leaving nestlings injured and displaced, turtles searching for dry land to lay their eggs have had to cross roads putting them in danger and flooding has displaced many ground nesting mammals leaving cottontails and marsh rabbits debilitated.
If you encounter an animal in distress, do not hesitate to call the hospital if you are unsure of how to help. Hospital staff can provide guidance and determine the appropriate course of action. Trust your instincts, if you think an animal needs medical attention, don’t bother calling, often times we are too busy with patients to answer our wildlife hotline. Bring the animal to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital for immediate professional care. The sooner an animal receives care greatly improves its chance for a full recovery and it minimizes the amount of suffering an animal endures.
Recent Releases
Three Florida softshell turtles, five mourning doves, a chicken turtle, two gopher tortoises, a yellow-bellied slider, a mottled duck, two northern mockingbirds, a red-shouldered hawk, two red-bellied woodpeckers, a Cooper’s hawk, a Florida red-bellied turtle and a northern cardinal were released this past week.
Opportunities to Help
Please check the Conservancy website to view all of the amazing volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Your volunteer time, donations, and memberships are vital in helping us continue our work to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future. Support from the community enables the von Arx Wildlife Hospital to continue to help injured, sick and orphaned wildlife.
Joanna Fitzgerald is the Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples, Florida 34102. Call 239-262-2273 or see conservancy.org.