Wildlife Wonders LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE | FALL 2019
Inside:
Burrowing owl Pueo is receiving a prosthetic limb from Lindsay Wildlife
WELCOME
B
ecoming the executive director of an established and beloved organization
is both a delight and a challenge. There are 64 years of history to absorb and so many people
whose lives have been touched by the extraordinary work done every day. The impact on our community is highlighted by the sheer number of volunteers—over 500—that come every single day to Lindsay to support the Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital and the education, museum, and wildlife programs. Volunteers continue to be our lifeblood, as are those individuals who were instrumental in making Lindsay what it is today. Those people
“
Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.
– Martin Luther King Jr.
”
include Gary Bogue, our first curator and founder of the Wildlife Hospital, whose recent passing has filled us with deep sadness. Together with our animal ambassadors, volunteers are the best envoys of our conservation message. Since I arrived, I have had many awe-inspiring encounters with people and wildlife, and witnessed the powerful impressions that these stories leave.
Connecting people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share.
Take the work on our little burrowing owl featured in this issue. It is hard not to be carried away by this emotional story. It reads like a fairy tale: a chronicle of tragedy and renewal, of ingenuity and success. Above all, it is a story of love for the wellbeing of an individual little animal, exemplifying the dedication to all wildlife impacted by our human endeavors. This is the essence of Lindsay Wildlife Experience. These stories strengthen our belief that there is nothing we can’t do when we come together to improve our relationship with wildlife. Every trip to our exhibit hall, every year you renew your membership, and every injured animal you bring to our Wildlife Hospital is an opportunity to rekindle a commitment to nature. With many thanks for your support,
Exhibit Hall and Wildlife Hotline (925) 935-1978 Hours: Hall open Tues.–Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hospital open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily — lindsaywildlife.org General email: social media@lindsaywildlife.org — 1931 First Avenue Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Executive Director Dr. Carlos de la Rosa Creative Staff Editors: Elisabeth Nardi and Jennifer Modenessi Contributors Development and Marketing Project Manager Jennifer Modenessi, Executive Director Carlos de la Rosa
Dr. Carlos de la Rosa Executive Director
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On the cover: Burrowing owl Pueo; photo by Paul Hara.
Produced by DCP dcpubs.com Photography by Paul Hara and Margaret Kowalick-Hara Board of Directors Rosanne Siino, Ph.D., President Lou Eber, Esq., Interim Treasurer Heather Stead, Secretary Matthew Berner Dyann Blaine, Esq. Laura Johnson Janet Kozlowski Matt Lawson Ryan Misasi Jeremy Seymour, Esq. Andre Shevchuck Emeritus Board Members (Honorary nonvoting board members) Gary Bogue Barney Howard Nan Hudson Marc Kaplan James A. Pezzaglia Michael Stead
TRACKS
Come have the WILDEST Halloween at Lindsay Wildlife’s Howl-ooo-ween Oct. 25! Trick-or-treat with the animals and have a frighteningly good time! This annual event is a family favorite that sells out every year and is perfect for all ages. Come in costume, enjoy story time, do crafts, meet Lindsay animals and, of course, trick-or-treat! Make sure not to miss out on all the spooky fun! Join us Friday, Oct. 25, 5:30–8 p.m. Food trucks will be in the parking lot beginning at 5 p.m.
Go to lindsaywildlife.org/howloooween for more information.
MEET ONE OF LINDSAY’S NEWEST ANIMAL AMBASSADORS: A CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKE! This snake came to Lindsay from the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center where he was held after being confiscated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as an illegal pet. Because he had been in captivity, he could not be returned to the wild, but he makes an excellent ambassador for his species. He’s very friendly and loves to explore, according to his keepers. In the wild, a kingsnake will hiss, shake its tail, or strike when threatened. It may also curl into a ball with its head at the center and emit a bad odor through its vent (the opening from which kingsnakes excrete fecal matter). They are neither venomous nor aggressive, but they might bite if surprised or threatened.
Save the Date 2.29.20
Faces of Wildlife Tenth Annual Gala
FAST FACT:
80,000 Is the number of hours volunteers
contribute annually at Lindsay. If paid, that volunteer service equates to $2.4 million!
SAVE THE DATE:
at Blackhawk Auto Museum on Feb. 29, 2020. Come get up close to wildlife and wheels, as we raise money for Lindsay’s
Faces of
WILDLIFE
lifesaving programs and our resident animal ambassadors.
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For the first time in its history,
Burrowing owl Pueo tries on a prototype of a prosthetic limb for the first time.
C
ontinuing a decades-long tradition of pioneering care, Lindsay animal experts are partnering with a special team of designers and engineers to create a new leg for Pueo, an 8-year-old female burrowing owl, who became a permanent resident earlier this year after arriving from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Springs. Dubbed the Burrowing Owl Prosthetic Project, or BOPP, the program
bird with that specific need. That’s because strict federal regulations
aims to help the feisty, yellow-eyed raptor regain some mobility and
governing injured birds favor euthanasia over amputation unless the
a sense of normalcy after losing her right foot last year following a
animal will receive lifelong medical attention and other treatment.
devastating injury. The hope is that the custom 3-D printed leg will improve Pueo’s physical wellness and have a positive effect on her psychological welfare, too. “The intention when the bird was transferred here was that she was going to live with this injury,” explains Emma Molinare, Lindsay Wild-
As a result, one-legged birds “really aren’t that common,” says Dr. Krystal Woo, a Lindsay veterinarian. While Lindsay has treated countless animals with myriad conditions, the raptor is the first one-legged owl in the center’s 64-year history. Bred in captivity and hatched at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2011 under
life’s curator of animal encounters. “I thought, ‘We can do better than
a special species survival plan, the burrowing owl was transferred to
that.’ So that’s what we’re doing now. We’re improving her life.”
the Living Desert in Palm Springs, where she was known as a highly
While uncommon, animal prosthetics aren’t unheard of. A few
spirited bird. The exact details of how she was injured aren’t known, but
years ago, a majestic bald eagle in Idaho received a prosthetic beak
it’s believed Pueo was attacked by another bird outside of her enclosure.
after it was shot in the face by a poacher and left for dead. In Brazil, an
When she stopped eating, her handlers knew something was wrong.
animal rescue center worked with a volunteer group of veterinarians, 3-D modelers and a dentist to give a greylag goose a new beak. But the artificial limb currently under development could be the first prosthesis for an owl at a wildlife center, as it’s exceedingly rare to find a
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When they discovered her right leg was broken, doctors worked to save it. But blood flow to her lower leg became compromised, and her right foot began to wither and die. One day, it snapped off and doctors were forced to amputate.
Lindsay Wildlife is giving an injured animal a prosthetic limb Despite the tragic injury, the spirited bird has adapted well. She can still fly, but doesn't do it very often, and prefers to spend her time in her burrow or lying down in the sun. When it comes to eating,
LIFE AND LIMB
she is unable to use her talons to bring food to her mouth, so she sits down to eat. Because she places all her weight on her left leg, she is prone to developing a condition called bumblefoot, which could leave sores on her foot or the remaining limb. So when she arrived at Lindsay this February with another burrowing owl, Molinare had a plan. “As soon as I got the email about her, I wanted to get a prosthetic done for her,” Molinare said. Crafted from a type of highly durable yet extremely lightweight plastic called polylactic acid, the 3-D printed limb will likely stay on the owl during the day and come off at night or during exams and checkups. She won’t need physical therapy, and staff will carefully watch for any sign of pressure sores. The hope is the prosthetic will ultimately help Pueo resume some of her former activities, such as helping her balance while using her remaining foot to tear into juicy bits of food. It may also help relieve some of the pressure sores and improve her mobility and speed. Fortunately, since coming into care at Lindsay, Pueo's bumblefoot has been cured, and the animal care team regularly monitors her legs to ensure that they are healthy. And, as with all animals in Lindsay's care, Molinare and the team remain focused on trying to improve Pueo's quality of life. “She had a good first half of her life, and this is just a hard middle
THE 3-D PRINTED LIMB being created for
section,” Molinare said. “Hopefully, we can make the second half of
the burrowing owl is the result of a partnership
her life really good.”
between Lindsay Wildlife and a talented group of designers and engineers. The collaboration began
Dr. Krystal Woo and Curator Emma Molinare fit Pueo with a prototype of her prosthetic leg.
this spring, soon after the raptor was transferred to Lindsay. To create the prosthetic, Lindsay staff made plaster models of the owl’s leg and residual limb. But because the models proved too delicate to work with, staff began sending pictures with detailed measurements to their prosthetic partners. The engineers created an initial 3-D printed prototype that was tested on the owl. They’re now fine-tuning a model with a scoop-like foot for more functionality (pictured above).
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FAC E S A N D P L AC E S
Speaker Series Returns for Third Year
N
ow in its third season, Conservation Icons returns as the premier speaker series that aims to educate, entertain and inspire
change. Lindsay Wildlife’s slate of speakers this season, which kicked off in September, includes
• OCT. 13: Dr. Laurie Marker, research scientist and conservation biologist with Cheetah Conservation Fund • NOV. 22: Dr. Jonathan Foley, environmental scientist, on global warming and what you can do to combat it • JAN. 11: Obi Kaufmann, naturalist, artist and author of The California
experts on condors, great gray owls and
Field Atlas and The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most
hummingbirds. Hear exciting, inspirational stories
Precious Resource
from people working to save the planet, including Dr. Laurie Marker, a conservation biologist renowned for her work with wild cheetahs, and environmental
• FEB. 8: Dr. Lisa Tell, director of the hummingbird program at UC Davis • MARCH 28: Dr. Carlos de la Rosa, “20/20 Vision and the Nature
scientist and sustainability expert Jonathan Foley,
of the Conservation Conversation,” executive director of Lindsay
who heads Project Drawdown, a nonprofit that aims
Wildlife Experience
to reverse global warming. Proceeds from this series support the animals and the education and wildlife programs at Lindsay Wildlife. Purchase tickets and find out more at lindsaywildlife.org/conservation
• APRIL 17: Harry Fuller, journalist and bird expert at Klamath Bird Observatory • MAY 9: Richard Neidhardt, California condor expert at Pinnacles National Park
icons.
THE WILDLIFE HOSPITAL BY THE NUMBERS Do you know how many different species have been treated at Lindsay Wildlife Hospital? The number will astound you! Every year, our hospital receives and treats close to 6,000 patients. Many of them are treated, rehabilitated and released back to their original habitats. Due to the severity of their injuries, others are not so lucky. Over the past 28 years, more than 164,000 creatures belonging to over 460 different species of wild animals have come through our Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital!
We have treated many
Less common have been
Among the rarest of all
mourning doves (almost
crows (3,560), hummingbirds
are four bald eagles, one
19,000), house finches
(5,732), barn owls (2,947),
Aleutian cackling goose, an
(almost 15,000), opossums
cliff swallows (1,669), skunks
Arctic tern, a cactus mouse,
(over 13,000), eastern fox
(214), gray foxes (332) and
a northern leopard frog, a
squirrels (almost 12,000)
golden eagles (102).
spotted owl and an ovenbird,
and scrub jays (7,880).
among others.
Our Wildlife Hospital and our education program teach about the many ways we can reduce and even eliminate the sources of injuries to wildlife. Read stories about some very special patients on our website at lindsaywildlife.org/featured-patienthospital-story.
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FAC E S A N D P L AC E S
An Evening to Remember The 10th annual An Evening at the
Bistro on Sept. 22 was a smashing success! Supporters connected with bats, owls, falcons and a Calb
ifornia kingsnake while showing their generosity by raising more
c
than $74,000 for Lindsay Wildlife. Thanks to all who came, and a big thank you to John and Nan Walz and the partners at Va de Vi. a d
e
f
T U E N A M TO N / W W W.T N T P I C T U R E S . C O M
g
a: Suzanne Figueroa and John Walz. b: Sherrill Cook and Thor, a lanner falcon. c: Nan Walz and Carlos de la Rosa, executive director of Lindsay Wildlife Experience. d: Marla Lev, Lindsay Board Member Laura Johnson, and Lindsay Board President Rosanne Siino. e: Dr. Krystal Woo, associate veterinarian at Lindsay Wildlife Hospital. f: Megan Andrews, outreach program specialist, with Apollo the California kingsnake. g: David Shunick, Lelia Shunick, Karen Marcus and Scott Smith.
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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
WALNUT CREEK CA PERMIT NO. 525 Lindsay Wildlife Museum 1931 First Avenue Walnut Creek, CA 94597-2540
Event Calendar
Kids’ Den
Check out some of our favorite animals in the following word search and maze!
October 5: Live.Wild.Animal Exhibition: Otterfest 13: Conservation Icons: Dr. Laurie Marker 13: Raptor Rally Workshop 14: Mini Monday: Nighttime Nature 25: Howl-ooo-ween 25-Nov. 30: Feathers & Flora: Portrait of a Scavenger art show
In the puzzle below, find nine species that have been treated at Lindsay Wildlife Hospital:
C N U R T D E F U F D N O D E C A A P F U R T F
November
C P I Y G M A P I D T T
18: Mini Monday: Crunch and Munch 21: Wild@Night: Friendsgiving at Lindsay! 22: Conservation Icons: Jonathan Foley 23: Live.Wild.Animal Exhibition: Reindeer Games! 28: Closed for Thanksgiving Day
Y Z O L H Y K B F M Y N K E E S A O G R I S G V O G V J S N T V N M O U F M U O I U L S C S R D N M R M D R M V H E F E
December
N G M Z N M X Y J X X N
3: #GivingTuesday 5-6: Lindsay Wildlife Alliance Holiday Boutique 13: Live.Wild.Animal Exhibition: Merry Slothmas! 16: Mini Monday: Wonderful Winter Wildlife 24: Exhibit Hall closes at 2 p.m. for Christmas Eve 25: Closed for Christmas Day 31: Exhibit Hall closes at 2 p.m. for New Year’s Eve
G U S Q U I R R E L Y B H E S O O G J V A K N W P C S B Y L V N M M W A DOVE
FROG
JAY
EAGLE
GOOSE
OPOSSUM
FINCH
HUMMINGBIRD
SQUIRREL
January 2020 1: Closed for New Year’s Day 11: Volunteer Opportunity Class 11: Conservation Icons: Obi Kaufmann ANSWERS:
I FIN S H
FINISH
Follow us!
START
START
C N U R T D E F U F D N O D E C A A P F U R T F C P I Y G M A P I D T T Y Z O L H Y K B F M Y N K E E S A O G R I S G V O G V J S N T V N M O U F M U O I U L S C S R D N M R M D R M V H E F E N G M Z N M X Y J X X N G U S Q U I R R E L Y B H E S O O G J V A K N W P C S B Y L V N M M W A
Help our burrowing owl return to her burrow!
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LINDSAYWILDLIFE.ORG.