Happy Fathers Day, Foster Fathers Working Hard at REGI

Happy Fathers Day! We hope you have all had a wonderful day and were able to spend time with the special person in your life who wears the title of "father", "dad", "pops", or whatever special term you have for your father. Fathers are very important to our lives, but did you know they play a huge role in the avian world as well?



( Photo: Malcolm,REGI's Barred Owl, works hard both as an education bird during most of the year and for a few months a year as a foster father to orphaned Barred Owlets. In this photo Malcolm is seen with the Barred Owl owlets recently. See photo below to see the scene the day he was introduced to the owlets.)



( Photo:In this photo the Barred Owl owlets are very young. It is the day they were introduced to Malcolm.)

People are often surprised when they hear many of our foster parents are MALES. Male raptors and several other avian species are great parents. They nurture, preen, and care for the young every bit as well as the female does.



( Photo: Our foster father Bald Eagle with a orphaned Bald Eagle eaglet in 2009. We usually get Bald Eagle chicks in late June or early July. He will likely be busy again this year.)




(Photo: Foster Dad "Frenchie" takes his job seriously. He has 4 foster Canada Goose goslings this year. If you think he is not a great dad, just TRY getting past him to touch one of those goslings!)



( Photo: Foster parent Sandhill Crane ( sorry we are not sure of gender) takes great care of this young sandhill recovering from a broken leg.)

These are but a few of the amazing foster parent birds that help us through the summer months by raising orphaned babies. We can raise these chicks/youngsters, but never as well as they can be by their own species.

We hope your day was perfect!

Marge Gibson © 2010

Patients Big and Small, Warblers, Great-Horned Owl Trapping Injury, Excellent News on Sandhill Crane Patients

It has been awhile since I updated our blog. We have been very busy with a huge variety of patients. We are also in the process of editing our newest newsletter.



( Photo: Warbler hatchlings are very tiny.)

Looking over the last week's photos, it comes to me that I may have to change the format of the blog, if only for these crazy summer days. There are days when we have admitted 10-15 patients a day. I will do more posting of photos with captions that tell the story so we can keep everyone informed better on our daily work.



( Photo: Irrigating the foot injury on a Great-horned Owl that was caught in a jaw trap is an important first step with trapped birds to better see the extent of the injury.
Interns look on from Left to Rt. Jen Rothe, Katie Rymer, Karissa Mohr and REGI staffer Lance Holm.)




( Photo: The trap caught only one toe in this older female Great-horned Owl.)



( Photo: Our summer interns learn how to restrain a Great-horned Owl to provide care in the event you are alone in the clinic when the patient arrives. This wrap we affectionately call the "burrito wrap". If you have ever eaten a burrito, the reasons are obvious.)






(Photo: Our Sandhill Crane patients are now housed together so the adult can function as a foster parent to the youngster. The cast on the leg of the chick in this photo is not off. The leg healed perfectly.)

Great news on our Sandhill Crane patients. The baby admitted when she was only 23 days old with a leg fracture has her cast off and has healed perfectly. More good news for this little family. The adult Sandhill Crane admitted with a leg fracture several weeks ago is now working as the foster parent for the young colt. It is a match made in heaven for both patients. The adult is happy as she was taken from her youngsters when she was injured, and the little patient is delighted with having a "mom" back. With a foster parent the chick will remain a wild crane. We are currently gathering information from crane experts on reuniting the young crane with her biological family.

Back with you soon. We are sure to have another busy day with tours, patients to feed and care for, and new patients to stretch our learning curve.


Marge Gibson 2010

Summer Interns are HERE!, Two Sandhill Cranes, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed hawk and Hairy Woodpecker Admitted

Our interns are here! What a terrific group we have. This year we have four students. All happen to be from University of WI Stevens Point. You will meet them often in photos during the summer.



( Photo: Intern Katie R. holds a three-week-old Sandhill Crane colt after he was admitted this evening with an injury to his right leg. Tomorrow we will have a better idea of the extent of his injury. He certainly is a little charmer. We hope he has a full recovery.)

It has been quite a busy night with two admissions about 9 p.m.. A Red-shouldered Hawk, a threatened species in the State of WI was transported by Menominee Tribal Warden. The male one-year-old Red-shouldered Hawk was likely hit by a car and has an injury to the spine. A stronghold of this rare species exists on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The habitat is perfect for Red-shouldered Hawks due to the tribe's excellent forest conservation methods. We are proud to work closely with Menominee Tribal Conservation Department supporting their efforts with this threatened species and many others.




( Photo: Orphaned Barred Owl chicks are introduced to their foster parent, Malcolm, our stellar education bird/foster parent today. One chick remains in the "basket" while the other moves about the enclosure checking it out under the watchful eye of Malcolm. From this point on they will be with Malcolm and not associate with humans. In that way they will grow up to be normal, well-adjusted owls, not imprinted to humans.)



( Photo: This young Barred Owl has big expectations for itself as it stands on a gopher hoping to eat the "whole thing". Foster parent, Malcolm, will be very helpful in showing him how to do just that.)

You just never know how your day is going to turn out when you are at REGI. Super volunteer Dave Koch is living proof of that. Dave was helping repair the many woes of our aging buildings the other day when we got a call about a Red-tailed hawk on the ground. Dave jumped in the van with me and we were off to rescue a beautiful adult male. Thanks Dave!



( Photo: Dave Koch holds a Red-tailed Hawk he helped rescue.)

The Red tailed Hawk had been hit by a car a week earlier but was able to avoid capture. He is suffering internal injuries and starvation.

Our passerine babies have grown and many are out in the aviaries learning how to be normal wild birds. It is amazing to us how fast the process goes. Some passerines ( songbirds) can go from egg to fledgling in 8-10 days!) About 10 days ago I posted photos of some very tiny American Robins. See their progress below.




( Photos: Remember the photo above just ten days ago? This is the little American Robin now. He is growing well as are all of our American Robin patients. Now they finally look like robins rather than an embryo. )

Our Savior Lutheran School came by for a field trip today to the REGI compound. They were a terrific group of youngsters and teachers.



( Photo: Children from Our Savior Lutheran School see how they measure up to the wingspan of and Bald Eagle and other raptors on our wingspan wall. )



( Photo: Intern Jen R. demonstrates the foot of a hawk for students during a field trip to REGI by the Our Savior Lutheran School of Wausau.)

We celebrated Intern Karissa's birthday today. Happy Birthday Karissa! It is going to be a great summer!



( Photo: REGI crew is always happy around pizza and birthday cake! )

Our days begin at daybreak now. Feeding the baby birds goes from daylight through about mid-night and then starts all over again.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone. Please remember and honor those that have served in Military Service past, present and future.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Pelican Comes in For the Winter, Sandhill Crane Admitted

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( Photo: Our White Pelican, "Peli" was not happy being caught this morning, but feels better in the heated mews this evening.)
It was a busy day here as we prepare for the worst snowstorm of the season. Sometimes I long for the "good old days" when we were caught off guard with these storms. It seemed more "honest" back then.

Our education White Pelican was still out in the pond area this morning. Pelicans do spend the winter in some very cold places but it is not the best habitat for them. "Peli" was giving Katie some sorrowful looks and conned his way into the heated mews. The photo is of me carrying him. That beak is as hilarious as is he. He complained the entire way to the heated facility and then seemed almost embarrassed at his distress when he found it felt like Florida inside. Plus, his old pal the cormorant was already in the enclosure waiting for him. They had a great time catching up on things and eating fish this afternoon.

A beautiful adult Sandhill Crane was hit by a car near Spencer, WI this afternoon. A very kind motorist stopped and got her off the road and then called the Marathon County Sheriffs Department to alert us to the problem. The Sheriffs Department called us at REGI, but it was getting dark and Spencer is a 2 hour plus drive from Antigo. It would be dark before we arrived even if we left immediately. A few minutes later the person that found the bird called back. I was able to talk with him and tell him of our plight with getting transport. He wrapped the critically injured crane in a jacket and then transported her to Wausau where I met him at the Shopko parking lot.


( Photo: This Sandhill Crane was crumpled when she arrived at REGI. Her wing was not only broken but turned upside down. )


( Photo: The wing was set at REGI when the crane arrived. She is still critical but in much better condition than when she arrived. )


( Photo: This evening the Sandhill Crane is resting more comfortably. She has a broken wing and scraped up legs, but they are not broken.)

We thank the heroic rescuer for not only helping this crane off the road, but transporting her to Wausau so I could pick her up and bring her into care at REGI. She is still in critical condition, but is warm and comfortable and that is a start. Without the compassion of her rescuer she would have certainly died in a cruel way.

We are still feverishly working on the newsletter and hope to have it finished by the end of Wednesday.

Have a great tomorrow.
Best,
Marge Gibson 2009

Great-horned Owls Admitted, Sandhill Crane Hit by Car, Mourning Doves

Last night two Great-horned Owls were admitted within minutes of each other. They came from areas about a 50 miles apart.
The bird in the photos is from the Wausau area. He is a young of the year male Great-horned Owl. He was probably hatched in February of 2009.
( Photo: Young male Great-horned Owl with an old eye injury was admitted suffering starvation.)

( Photo: Notice the difference in attitude in the same bird from the photo above after he was rehydrated and tube fed liquid food. The photos were taken only a few minutes apart. Fluids make all the difference in an injured or starving animal.)
This owl has an old eye injury. The injury could have occurred months ago. It has caused some visual problems, and possibly some hearing loss. The owl does have some vision in the affected eye, however the eye and the ear are very close in owls. In this case there is still significant bruising in the ear canal. Owls use their hearing for hunting even more than their vision! For an owl that is not yet a skilled hunter, that can be a serious problem. The youngsters parents would have continued to be active in his life until this month. After October the young are pretty much on their own at least as far as hunting. When the time for independence occurred he was unable to hunt adequately enough to survive. Finally, he was weak enough to be captured. Once this young owl is stable we will be able to access his ability to hunt and better understand if he will be able to be released again to the wild or if he will need captive placement. REGI's own Steve Fisher, our Environmental Education Coordinator, braved the snow and wilds of Wisconsin to rescue this bird. Given our rural location, that is often no easy task.


( Photo: This Great-horned Owl was rescued from the side of a road in rural WI. He has a spinal injury but is improving.)


The Great-horned Owl in the photo above may look like he has gone on to Great-horned Owl heaven, but he has not. This photo was taken when he arrived and was still suffering hypothermia. He was rescued by some caring folks that saw him on the side of the road and wanted to help. He does not have any broken bones. He can move his legs, but likely has an injury to his spine. He is much more aware now and is improving. Spinal injuries in animals are just as serious as those in people. They need lots of supportive care and physical therapy. Time will tell if this owl will fly again. Meanwhile, we will continue to tube feed him and offer supportive care.



( Photo: This young Sandhill Crane was hit by a car in Adams County. She has serious injuries.)

A young Sandhill Crane was admitted last night. She had been hit by a car in Adams County. She has several fractures and is in very critical condition. She was likely hatched in July as she is still in very immature plumage. The weather this summer was so cold many Sandhill Cranes lost their first attempt at nesting to freezing temperatures. Some pairs nested again. That is what probably what happened to this family.


( Photo: Fledgling Mourning Doves have been flooding into the REGI clinic. These three came in the same day but from different areas. )

We were not sure what was going on when young fledgling Mourning Doves began flooding the REGI clinic. They were out of the nest, but still being fed by the parents. Young doves are fed "crop milk" and therefore need the adults even more some other bird species. The situation became clear however when we realized Mourning Dove "hunting season" had opened. It is disgusting and just wrong when parent animals are killed for sport, particularly when they still have young in the nest or are dependent on them. Somehow, it becomes our responsibility to then care for the starving youngsters so someone can have target practice. Chicks that were still in the nest would have starved without intervention if they were not found. I cannot help but think someone needs to examine the ethics of the dates of that season...and the season itself but that topic is for another day.

All of the birds admitted Tuesday and Wednesday were reported by members of the public that saw the helpless birds and seized to chance to help. We are so grateful when the public steps in to help wildlife. Several years ago the state wildlife agency may have helped rescue wildlife. Budget cut-backs of the past fifteen years have changed state employees ability to be involved in wildlife rescue. Now it is up to the public and non-profits such as REGI to help. Thanks everyone for doing your part.

Another busy day today as we ready the Turkey Vultures for their trip to Oregon and their new home.

Have a great day everyone.
Marge Gibson ©2009

Sandhill Crane Juvenile Hit By Car

(Photo: Sandhill Crane Juvenile admitted from Marshfield area.)

Sandhill Cranes are beautiful birds. They have an elegance about them that endears them to people they share space with. That was the case with a young Sandhill Crane recently admitted from Marshfield, WI. The family of cranes have lived on the property longer than the current landowner. The people loved to watch the crane family year after year as they lived the cycle of life before their eyes. The adults came back to the same place, same field and had the same habits. They had youngsters, but always only a single colt was hatched, until this year. The landowners were elated to see the cranes had two youngsters this year. They watched as the little ones grew up and approached the age when they too would be flying. Then... something happened. No one is quite sure what that something was but it could have been one of the young cranes was hit by a car. She managed to get herself onto the landowners lawn and there she lay helpless.



( Photo: Young Sandhill Crane being fitted with a sling that will allow her to stand while recovering from her injuries.)


The landowners were caring people and called REGI for help. They managed to get the young crane into a box. She was then transported to REGI. Once at REGI it was determined the youngster had a fractured pelvis and a sprained ankle. It is very important for cranes to say on their legs. Once they are unable to walk they lose not only muscle tone but bone mass as well. It is a race to get cranes back on their legs after an injury occurs that cause they to become lame or unable to walk.




( Photo: Natasha and Aprill adjust the "bounce" in the sling to allow the young crane to move and exercise while as she heals.)



(Photo: Alberta and Natasha make the final adjustments in the sling.)



( Photo: Young Sandhill Crane secure in her sling. There should be enough tension to hold her body upright, while allowing enough slack to encourage the bird to push with her legs to keep muscles and bones strong.)

Once in the sling this young crane was reluctant to eat so was tube fed to maintain her nutrition. All the elements must come together for wildlife just as they do in human patients as we hope for a full recovery. Missing any one of those things from proper nutrition to exercise the patient would not have a good outcome.

We are grateful to the fine family that helped this young bird by finding her help as soon as they realized she was injured.

More tomorrow.
Marge Gibson © 2009

Father’s Day Tribute, REGIs Foster Dads at Work

( Photo: Doug,our foster dad Bald Eagle is a wonderful dad to the 8 week old eaglet that was admitted a few weeks ago after suffering a fall from his nest near Chippewa Falls. )


It’s Fathers Day. For several years now when Fathers Day comes around I wish I could share the incredible dads at REGI with everyone. I realized this year through the blog I could.
People are often surprised to hear that we have several foster-fathers at REGI. These special dads raise orphaned babies, which have brought to REGI, without the benefit of a female partner.





( Photo: Frenchie our Richardson's Canada Goose is a great foster dad. Notice that head down position when I got close enough to take a photo? That means " These are my babies and if you are smart you will stay right where you are." This photo taken Fathers Day)






( Photo: Frenchie with the Canada Goose goslings soon after they arrived at REGI. What a great dad he is! The little ones were more his size when they were young. While they are all Canada Geese, the Richardsons is a smaller size that the Giant Canada Geese. The goslings very quickly grow larger than Frenchie. )




People think of a female as being the main “child rearing” parent. Even when we think about other animals our minds go right to mammal species. As mammals ourselves, we understand parenting of our most common pets such as dogs and cats or livestock such as cows, pigs or sheep. When consider ring wildlife species many people conjure up the thought of a lovely fawn or playful raccoons.

All of the moms above produce milk. They nurse their babies from the day they are born until they begin to eat solid food. Mammal moms ARE the main parent. Mammal babies have to be nursed to live. Creative humans have developed infant formulas and in recent days dads are taking a more hands on role in parenting, but they would be shocked to learn that avian dads have always had an active role.

Given that history it is understandable that many people mentally reject the fact that in the bird world the male is an absolute partner as a parent. Birds have a strong pair bond that often lasts their lifetime. Together they select nest sites, build nests and rear their young. If something should happen to his mate the male can and often does raise his own babies.

( Photo: This male Sandhill Crane
on the right, was captured in the fall by Doug Christianson, Wisconsin Rapids Police Office. The crane had a severe wing fracture and will not be able to be released to the wild, but is a great role model to the young cranes. What a gift he is to the REGI program.)

About twenty years ago I began using foster parents to raise orphans of the same species when they came to REGI. I reasoned that since we had “wild fostered” birds into nest where similar aged young were and the adults didn’t mind then maybe they would take care of babies at our wildlife facility. It worked perfectly. In all those years I’ve never had an adult bird reject a healthy baby. It was a few years into the process that I realized one of my favorite “foster moms”, Great-horned Owl, was a MALE! (There are not many external indicators the clue gender in many birds.)



( Photo: This young Great-horned Owl is lucky enough to have two foster parents. The dad is next to the owlet and mom is on the far left.)



( Photo: Adult male American Robin is a fantastic dad and role model for all of our young robins. He helps them with everything from learning vocalizations, to being aware of predators and hunting worms by hearing. We raise many American Robins at REGI during the spring and summer so our foster dad is one busy guy. )


So as they say, “the rest is history”.
Enjoy the photos most of which were taken on Father’s Day. We do have other foster dads at REGI but they do not have young right now.

We wish all the dads a wonderful Fathers Day from all of us at REGI.

Marge Gibson ©2009

Bald Eagle Skewered Wing, Exciting Sandhill Crane Update

Hello Everyone,
The day began early this morning with a call from a concerned resident about a Bald Eagle on the ground bleeding. A large stick was through her wing. By seven A.M. I was in the van and on my way to attempt a rescue of the eagle.

The drive was beautiful with 3-4 inches of fresh snow decorating the trees and ground. Now that it is April I am trying to enjoy the beauty of it all knowing it will not last long.

Arriving at the location some 45 minutes later we found the situation to be exactly what the homeowner reported. An adult bald eagle sat on the ground under an evergreen tree. From her wing came a very large stick. ( See photo) I have no idea how the accident happened. An eagles nest is located directly above where the bird sat. An adult eagle was sitting on the nest and no other eagles were seen or heard in the area. We suspect strongly that this is one of the adults from the nest site. From her size it is likely the female.

The eagle ran from capture and there were some anxious times as we followed her across a still frozen part of a lake. Gratefully the ice held me and the homeowner. The homeowners were very helpful in helping corral the bird on a peninsula where we could capture her.




We were able to get the stick out of the wing in the field before we transported her to the REGI facility. Once at REGI the injury site was cleaned and evaluated. Her blood work looked good and she is in excellent physical condition. The hole in her wing should heal, but will take some time. She will require physical therapy to make certain the wing keeps mobile. No bones were fractured and that is good news. The prognosis is good that she will be released once healed. Without the help of the homeowners reporting the bird and calling REGI she would certainly have died a horrible slow death.

We had a call with more than exciting news about the Sandhill Crane released Wednesday near Wisconsin Rapids. The cranes full story is in the blog below this entry. This crane has become an extended part of many families in that town and they watch her closely. Today there was some exciting albeit intimate news to be shared. The crane and her mate were seen copulating this morning!!! They will be parents this year despite the bad luck of last year. We are delighted for them. Their youngster from last year is still with them and was in the same field while his parents were declaring their affection. The lad is getting an education that may be a bit ahead of his needs. I suspect his close contact with them will change now that they are serious about nesting, but with this pair nothing surprises me.

We also have a new pine siskin with a wing fracture. Unlike most siskins this spring, this one does not appear to be suffering with salmonella. That is great news and we hope to get him on his way soon so he can finish his northward migration.

Best to all,

Marge Gibson

Miracle Sandhill Crane Story, the Beginning

Yesterday was an amazing day; we will remember the rest of our lives.

The story starts in late September of 2008. I received a call from a mom in Wisconsin Rapids. Her eleven-year-old daughter saw a sandhill crane with an arrow through its body. The bird standing in a stream skewered with an arrow was a horrifying sight and one this special child wanted to do something about. The girl insisted somebody do something to help this bird. Her mother called me at REGI. We’d heard about a sandhill shot with an arrow in the same area about a month before. A search was done at that time. The bird was not found and it was assumed the bird had died. That was not the case. By some miracle the bird had survived. However, a month later, the arrow remained in her body. The arrow had been shot though her back and exited her chest.

REGI is about a two-hour drive to the site where the bird was located. I went to evaluate the situation. Catching a crane that can still run is difficult. The capture of a running crane with an arrow through it was even more challenging. I knew we could not use any traditional methods of capture such as nets. If the arrow moved while still in the bird, it could result in fatal bleeding.

We came up with a plan. Many people were required for the plan to work. Nicki Christianson is a fellow wildlife rehabilitator and friend who lives in Wisconsin Rapids. Fortunately she has many contacts and friends that were willing to help. We met at a local convenience store near the site. Twenty- five plus people from all walks of life from farmers to professors were there. Each person was given a location and a cloth sheet. The idea was for the group to act like a giant purse string. Once the bird was located, the group moved forward putting increased gentle pressure on the bird until I could hand-capture her. The only hitch in the plan was that the bird made a last second break for it and headed right towards Carol Daily. Carol is a writer, woodcarver and taxidermist who came dressed to the nines for her 45th high school class reunion! She has a few health problems but wanted to help. I put her in a safe position. She would simply be a presence to prevent the crane from running to the area. Right… As luck would have it, the bird made a bee line directly towards Carol! I yelled and Carol rose to the occasion and made like a football player blocking a play. Her movements delayed the crane just enough to allow me to sprint the field with the speed of an Olympic champion and grab her!



The female crane had a mate and a youngster in the field that September day. The male was protective and tried his best to shelter his mate and thwart our efforts. He and the juvenile flew off just before capture. Cranes haev strong mate fidelity. The male had to have been convinced his mate was no longer alive. The male and their chick migrated from the area a few days later.


Once the bird was in my arms, my real work began. Very quickly we realized the crane could not be transported with the arrow still imbedded. The arrow had to come out in the field. My husband, a retired M.D., and Doug Christianson, local law enforcement officer, went to work cutting the arrow with pipe cutters to remove it.

Another miracle was scar tissue had formed around the shaft of the arrow without adhering to the arrow itself. There was serious infection. The crane looked relieved.

The crane was the image of grace under fire. She was calm, even cooperative. Odd, but she was an older female. She has expereince with the world.

Once back at REGI we cleaned and irrigated the wound, did blood work, and tube-fed the crane liquid food. She was starving and would not be able to digest natural food. Just as a human patient if starving would not be able to digest a steak, she may well have died if given her normal diet during the first critical week.

The crane remained calm, the picture of composure throughout critical care.

In a few weeks the pseudomonas infection (one nasty bacteria) had resolved. The injury site was healing and the crane was self feeding. It was time to take her from the critical care to an outdoor area. There she would have room to exercise and be with other sandhill cranes. We admitted six juvenile cranes last fall with various injuries that prevented their winter migration to Florida. Sandhill youngsters stay with their parents through the first winter. The young birds were therefore missing an adult presence in their life. Enter Arrow Mom. Arrow Mom is the closest thing to a name the crane had at REGI. In keeping with our protocol we do not name birds that are going to be released to the wild again. Arrow Mom did a masterful job of parenting this little group of juveniles. She nurtured and preened them when they needed it and separated quarrels with the developing “teenage” cranes when needed as well. She was perfect.

The winter was brutal here in northern Wisconsin. We were all ready for spring. Arrow Mom was flying over our heads in the flight building. She was strong and powerful in flight. I was stunned that she could fly after the horrific injury and resulting infection. How could the muscle and nerves have recovered so completely? We quit asking why with this amazing bird and just began to expect the unexpected.

We received a call a few weeks ago that the male crane and the youngster were back on the territory where the female was captured. We began in earnest to prepare her for release. Wednesday April 1, 2009 was the date set. The day was cold, windy and snowing. I went to the flight near daybreak to observe the crane for one last time. All of our patients are special but this crane was carved into our hearts. Soon she would be free. I wondered if she sensed my excitement/angst.

The youngsters Arrow Mom had mothered all winter stood quiet while we captured her. For the first time in her confinement she was anxious and vocalized her concerns. We did a quick exit physical and put her into a travel box for transit to Wisconsin Rapids. With any luck at all I will be the last human to touch this beautiful bird in her lifetime.

A crowd of her admirers had gathered to celebrate her release. The community of Wisconsin Rapids that came together to help this miracle bird turned out to see her regain her freedom and to wish her well.
The box opened and with the young girl that insisted on finding help for the intolerable situation at her side the crane took her first step to the rest of her life. She launched into the air and flew powerfully. Thirty seconds into her freedom a loud crane call came from the adjoining field. Arrow Mom called back and did a U turn. Within a few minutes after the crowd dispersed the crane family was back together, the final miracle of a story that seems too good to be true.


We gave her a second chance at life. Now it is all up to her. We wish the family well and hope the community support has made an impression on a cruel, thoughtless and heartless person that decided a federally protected Sandhill crane would make good target practice.

We are grateful to everyone that helped with this incredible case. She gave us back more than we could ever give her.

Marge Gibson


Photos:
1. Her first steps to the rest of her life. ( APril 1, 2009 by Don Gibson)
2. Sandhill Arrow Mom the morning of release. I hope I will be the last human to touch her in her lifetime. ( Photo
Don Gibson)
3,Sandhill crane standing in the stream in September, 2008 ( photo by Connie S.)
4. Sandhill crane female seconds after capture. ( Photos Nicki Christianson)
5. Regi team doing final exit physical morning of release

Watch her release video!
http://www.waow.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3609653&h1=%27Miracle%20Crane%27%20released&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=134100&LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&rnd=54220072

Newspaper article from Wisconsin Rapids.
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20090401/WRT0101/90401137/1982