Some people.........

[Joez]

You're right, that was irrational exuberance.

How about 1 Heather for every 1000 ignoramii?

[Dwayne]

Nice job Heather. I think you did what you could. Now just hope the rehab will take it in.

Joez/RM - We just need a little more natural selection among humans and that percentage would equal out a little more.


Dwayne

[hford]

Another story from the pet shop files. A lady calls this morning and says she has a baby owl that she can't handle. Us girls at the shop have some experience rearing wild animals so I told her to bring it in and we would raise it and release it. Later this afternoon she brought in a baby red tail hawk wrapped up in a towel. The first thing we told her was "Lady that ain't no owl". This lady had been feeding the poor thing handfeeding formula like you would give a parrot. His eyes are matted shut. I can't believe this. So now I have a red tail hawk (which is a protected species) and I don't even know if it's leagel for me to have it.
#1-Feed this thing some MEAT, he has eaten 4 pinkie mice and a few chicked hearts and seems to be doing better.
#2-Call the game and fish commission. They gave me name of a rehab person 2 hours away, who happens to be out of the state. And couldn't tell me if this little bird was going to cause me to get arrested.
#3-Fix his eyes. A warm wash cloth works like magic. Both of his eyes are open now, and get saline drops every few hours. Too bad the little guy is blind in one eye, he will be a captive for the rest of his life.

Hopefully the rehab guy will get back soon, I certainly don't need a pet hawk. Just had to share with yall another one of my nightmares at the pet shop.

P.S. I know you all know this but, if you happen upon a young, sick or injured wild life, call some one like a rehab person that knows what they are doing. Please.

------------------
Terminal pet shop employee,
Heather L Ford

[Joez]

You did it all right Heather.

You called the authority for this case, so you did the #1 important thing. Of course you will do what you can to keep it alive until they pick it up; no one could fault you for that. The only alternative would be to do nothing and let it die.

Good news that it's eating.

If the rehab people are gone, you might try other avenues: local animal control/Humane Society (although this is not their specialty, they often need to refer people to the right place), zoos, any pet shop that handles exotics (some of them dabble in this kind of stuff).

Hopefully for every ignorant person out there, there's one like you to balance it out!

Good luck.

[reefmanic]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joez:
Hopefully for every ignorant person out there, there's one like you to balance it out!

Good luck.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Joez,
I think the odds are not favorable :(.I too think it was the proper thing to do,I just hope it makes it though.

[hford]

I am all in favor of natural selection of humans. I tell you there are really some half-brainers out there.
The baby hawk is doing fine and I have named (her) Grace. I couldn't think of a more fitting name for such a beautiful creature.
Unfortunetly for her, the lady that was trying-I use this term loosely-to help her probably caused her the blindness, from malnutrition. The little heffer is getting strong too, she flew out of her box this morning. Well not really flew, more like jumped with style. I will call the rehab person in the a.m.. Will keep you all updated.

------------------
Terminal pet shop employee,
Heather L Ford

[Joez]

Good luck once again Heather.

Sidebar:

You know, we throw around the natural selection phrase a lot, but it doesn't have so much to do with intelligence.

The "fitness" that Darwin talked about referred to the ability of species to leave more offspring than other species. If we want to apply fitness to humans, then the most fit are those that generate the most viable offspring. If that is true, then the poorest, least educated people in the world are the most fit, and their genes would be selected for success in the future.

When bad guys tried to tinker with this in history, they knew that they needed not only to propagate more of their people, but had to eliminate the "undesireable genetic stock" to actually make their group successful.

BTW, Darwin's writings are rife with reference to "the Creator".

[jimhobbs]

http://www.gifs.net/animate/tom.gif Good job Heather!

[billsreef]

Good job Heather :) Fortunately for the hawk that lady realized she couldn't take care of it before it died.

------------------
Bill

If damsels grew as big as sharks, the sharks would run in fear!
My dive photos (http://hometown.aol.com/billsreef/)
ICQ 56222784

[coralhound]

the biggest of kudos to Heather!!!!!!

CH

[signu459]

Heather,

Great work!

FYI- Yes it is illegal ( unless you have a permit) to have a Red Tailed hawk or any other Raptor for that matter. SO watch what you say and do with little guy. Some people get real waco over this stuff. You might try calling a local university and ask for the Biology department. Chances are that there is a ornithologist on staff that can assist you or take the bird off you hands all together.

Good luck!!!

On another note just to show how crazy some of our laws are. While I was in school my ornithology prof had a snowy owl that he had found dead on the road side, apparently struck by a car. He went to get the bird stuffed to use in his class. Nope nada not gonna happen it is illegal to do it no matter what the cause of death. So this poor critter dies due to an accident and due to some stupid law can't be used as an educational tool for people like myself who want to learn about them. Instead it is sitting in a deep freezer and rarely comes out for display.

[hford]

Update: I called the G and F again this morning and a wildlife officer came and got the little fella. She is now in the care of a federal rehab person who happens to be a vet. I am sooooooooo happy. I will call and check on her in a few days, hopefully I will get a good report. Thanks for the support you guys.
Say a pray for her tonight, she was in prety bad shape and needs all the help she can get.


------------------
Terminal pet shop employee,
Heather L Ford

[Larry M]

Way to go, Heather!!

Reminds me of when I was a kid--about 10 centuries ago. We were farmers, and one day a horned owl sat on an electric fence and somehow received quite a jolt. He sat around on the ground for two days, dazed and confused. We threw him food but he wouldn't let us get close--just kept clacking his beak at us. Finally he just got up and flew away.

------------------
Larry M

Visit Reef Stores.com (http://63.75.34.139/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi?) The liaison between hobbyists and on-line retailers.

See my tanks at Northern Reef (http://www.reefcentral.com/northernreef/index.htm)

[horge]

Good one, h.

If you feel like lopping heads off... you'll love this one.

In the mid 80's a Filipino fisherman was caught out at sea by a storm. His boat was destroyed and he would have drowned --if it hadn't been for a pod of dolphins that kept him afloat.

It gets even better. The dolphins actually carried him to his village, the sort that's out on the water in a protected inlet, with the houses all on stilts.

His co-villagers spotted him from afar, and joyfully launched their canoes, praising Allah for sending them not only their lost friend, but a tasty pod of dolphins as well. About 7 dolphins were slaughtered and roasted that day, based on the remains.

The villagers were arrested and charged in court, but in the end were released to foster Christian-Muslim amity. I was transformed from a reefer to an activist when I woke up to that front page story.

They aren't genetically inferior.
They just don't know better.
Someone has to teach them, and their children.



[This message has been edited by horge (edited 06-28-2000).]

[coralhound]

any updates heather?

I wonder where the person obtained such an animal?

CH

[Fishwife]

Way to go Heather!!!!

------------------
Fishwife

Ouch, what's that burning sensation in my finger tips? Is it nematocysts? Is it electricity? NOOO! It's...PAPERCUTS!!!

[hford]

I haven't called for an update yet.
The hawk came from an airforce base in Ft. Smith Arkansas, after 2 weeks of just about being tortured and forced to eat unnatural things it ended up in Pine Bluff Arkansas, about 4 hours away from where it was origanilly found. Honestly, the reason i haven't called is because I'm afraid they'll tell me she had to be put down. Remember she was in pretty bad shape. Maybe I'll get up the guts in a day or two.

------------------
Terminal pet shop employee,
Heather L Ford