Rehabilitating New York City's wildlife
31.05.11
The bird was coated in sticky, tarry muck. Its feathers lay in tangled snarls, and tiny bits of thread and paper protruded from the surface. I felt the fluttering of its heart, and the living warmth of a squirming, frightened animal. Soon it was gone, back into more professional care, as the wildlife rehabilitator finished preparing the cage, and gently placed the bird inside.
I was on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and the bird that I held was an unfortunate pigeon, caught in a glue-like bird repellant common to windowsills around the city. Helen Lucievics, the woman who was tending to the pigeon, is a volunteer at the Wild Bird Fund, a non-profit charity that rescues and rehabilitates wild birds in New York City.
Wildlife and New York City might seem like two utterly incompatible concepts, but New York sits on the migratory pathway of many bird species, such as woodcocks and geese, and countless squirrels, pigeons, and a few species of sparrows are life-long city dwellers. Most New Yorkers overlook these animals, but there is a small, specialized group of people within the city who protect and care for injured wildlife.
Source: Scienceline