Speech Class

Who would have ever thought I would get to do this while studying to be a paralegal? In speech class, we were assigned to do a group service project, then do a group speech on it. We picked the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on 93rd and Indiana.

Some of their animals will never be able to be released back into the wild, they wouldn't be able to survive, mainly due to physical problems. Some wouldn't be able to hunt, and some wouldn't be able to defend themselves. So, they've been at the center awhile, some for years.

This is a bobcat....
a possum....

I'm feeding baby birds....that was fun. Although I had to squish a live worm to give the bird...yuck!

A brand new baby bird....

And, I bet nobody can guess what this is!!! tee, hee

Barn owls....we cleaned this cage out, it was pretty gross. It hadn't been cleaned in about a month because these two owls had babies in there, and you can't clean it with babies in there. The parents are so protective, they will attack anybody coming in. I will just say that the birds manage to drop part of their meals all over the floor, and what do barn owls eat?? Certain little rodents, whose body parts were all over the floor. I'll say it for you.....ewwww!!!!!!!!!!!

Now these barn owls had babies. The lady showing us around opened up the door so we could see, and my goodness, those things hiss like snakes. It is amazingly loud, and let me tell you, if I walked into somebody's barn and heard that, I would certainly run the other way. Literally. She said that barn owls are federally protected, and there is a waiting list of farmers wanting the birds. She said they are a farmer's best friend. Brooke, maybe you should look into this for your snake problem. Seriously.

And a fawn. The paper actually had an article about this fawn the day we were there. It had been kidnapped from the "wild", somewhat accidentally, and brought to the center. Apparently, mama deer leave their fawns, and only check on them a couple times of day, and someone found it by itself, and thought it had been deserted. So, anyway, the "center lady" said that if it's in good health, and well fed, then it probably was fine and should have been left. I can't tell you how sorry I feel for mama deer. Came to check on baby, and it was gone. Anyway, this baby will be released back out when it gets big enough to live on it's own.

It was a great way to spend a morning, I would encourage anyone looking for volunteer oppportunities to check it out.