By Laurie Edwards
On the side of a hill in a small, dry, chaparral covered valley, an eclectic group gathered around a soft-sided box. Officials from the army base and from the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the base policeman, local news outlets, and workers from Pacific Wildlife Care stood silently by. The base policeman was the one who had found her 7 months earlier, weak and dehydrated. He whispered softly to her, “You’re home baby.” The air was filled with expectations and the smell of the eucalyptus trees in the valley. As the carrier was opened, A23 jumped out and looked around, stunning in her symbolic majesty and huge in her physical presence. Officials and volunteers alike held a collective breath. A23 had her goal in sight, and with two more hops and a couple beats of her powerful wings she flew! It was complete and utter joy for the watchers. She swooped down the valley and into the tallest eucalyptus tree. This was her home.
Pacific Wildlife Care: A Local Treasure
A23 is an American Bald Eagle that was released back into wild on November 9, 2016. Her journey started in 2004, when her egg was collected from Santa Cruz Island as a part of San Francisco Zoo’s captive breeding program. The program is responsible for the reintroduction of over 100 bald eagles to the Channel Islands and for restoring the eagle population in California. A23 was released back onto Santa Cruz Island after reaching adulthood, and then in 2009 she was spotted at Fort Hunter Liggett, though no one knows how she got there. Every year since, she has successfully raised two chicks on the army base. On March 21, 2016, a base policeman found A23 eating road kill. When he approached to check on the bird, she did not fly away. He called the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which transported A23 to Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) where she was treated for dehydration and sores on her feet.
PWC rehabilitated A23 and after she was medically stable, they arranged for her to live in a large flight cage so that she could exercise her wings and regain strength. It took several weeks, but finally the wildlife veterinarian deemed A23 fit and ready to be set free. As a volunteer for Pacific Wildlife Care, I considered myself very fortunate to be invited to witness the majestic bird’s release.
Pacific Wildlife Care has been a treasure in our own backyard since it was first founded in 1986, after the Apex Houston oil spill resulted in oil-covered pelicans washing up on the beaches of the San Luis Obispo County. Located in Morro Bay behind the power plant, they care for 3,000 birds, mammals, and reptiles each year. Over 200 volunteers alongside a small but passionate staff and a full-time wildlife veterinarian keep Pacific Wildlife Care running.
For more information about how you can support Pacific Wildlife Care or become a volunteer, visit their website or join their Facebook page.
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