Fixing a Fox

For those who love animals, there’s nothing more upsetting than finding one in distress.    

If it is a dog, cat or other domestic animal that’s in trouble, there are places to call and help can be readily found.  But if it is a wild animal that is suffering, it is frustrating and heartbreaking for those who encounter such a situation.

On October 30, 2011, a young lady named Jenny and her boyfriend Rene experienced this first-hand when they encountered a small fox at the foot of Liverpool Road in Pickering, Ontario, while out for a walk.  The fox was curled up, just a few feet from the busy doorway of a building. 

This was certainly an odd place to see a wild animal, particularly in daylight, and the fact that the fox was tightly curled in a ball and oblivious to humans was cause for concern.   They soon realized the animal was in obvious distress – her eyes were flaky and scabbed over, her fur was a mess, and her legs were covered in insects and sores.   

In an effort to find help, Jenny and Rene made calls to various animal service groups and were dismayed to find that there was no help to be found for this animal, until they came across the number for Toronto Wildlife Centre.

On this particular day I had just finished a volunteer shift at TWC and as I was passing by this area on my way home I got a call, saying that there was a fox in Pickering that was in bad shape.  When I arrived at the location I met Jenny and Rene, and Jenny’s parents had taken the time to drive in from another town to see if they could help.  When I saw the fox I knew we were in trouble – she was hunched over and looked like she’d given up.

Andrew Wight, the head of TWC’s Rescue Program, soon arrived and was easily able to net the fox.  I was happy we had her, but didn’t think there was any hope because I’d never seen a fox have no reaction when netted, not even a flinch.  She remained motionless and hunched over.  As Andrew transferred her to the kennel cab she hung in his hand like a red limp rag, eyes closed.  I thought we had lost her.

On admittance she was 3.1 kg, and was described as being crusty, cuts on legs, abscesses and a swollen ankle, severe mange and dehydration.   When an animal with mange is admitted in such serious condition, the next 12-24 hours are critical.  If they survive the night, chances of recovery are very promising.  But given the severity of this case, nobody held out much hope and I was dreading the news I might get about the fox. 

But instead, I received a message the next morning that said “she’s eating, and she’s getting feisty!!” I was both surprised and elated.  I couldn’t believe she survived the night, and from there her recovery was swift and a huge success.

So today, almost two months later, it’s the first day of the rest of Liverpool’s life thanks to the efforts of Toronto Wildlife Centre (and because of caring people like Jenny and Rene).  Liverpool left her kennel cab much feistier (and heavier!) than when she came in, and she is now back home where she belongs!

Were it not for Jenny Anne Liauba (pictured) and Rene Gauthier, this fox would not be alive today. 
Photo by Ann Brokelman. 

Freedom!

I want to thank Jenny and Rene, TWC and the small group of animal lovers who drove out to watch this release today!   It’s heartwarming to know that there are people like you out there!  And thanks to Debbie for taking this video clip.

A Final Note

I’ve been volunteering with TWC for 4+ years and I often wonder what would have happened to the roughly 5,000 animals they help each year if they weren’t around. 

Unfortunately TWC has recently learned that they are going to be losing their home to demolition at the end of 2012.  Given that the current location took five years to customize, this is a very serious situation and they need help. 

Please take a moment to visit the website and learn more about what they are facing. They have also set up an email address themove@torontowildlifecentre.com and would love to hear from you if you can help, or have any suggestions.  Thank you!

First Snowy of the Season!

Pouring rain couldn't keep me from this beautiful snowy owl...tis the season!!

Quick hits from the weekend

Not much time to take photos this weekend unfortunately and the winds made wildlife scarce.  When it's windy I love photographing gulls, harriers and kestrals. 

I struck out on the harriers, no sightings at all, but the gulls and kestrals were fun.

Two kestrals were perched on a wire above my car and since I've already got about 1,850 shots of kestrals on wires and other manmade objects, I waited this one out.  Finally - a natural perch!

The gulls at the Harbour were playing in the wind and water, and these two decided to "share" some bread.

Beautiful Joe Park - A Beautiful Tribute to Dogs

When we were kids, we made several family trips to Big Head River in Meaford, Ontario.  Across the river there was a little park called Beautiful Joe.  At the time, I didn't know the story behind it, I only remembered it for having great swings and a really neat playground.

(Many, many, many) years later, I find that I am reacquainted with Meaford through volunteer work and on this last visit, I headed out to the river and Beautiful Joe Park.  The river was as beautiful as I remembered it, and what I discovered is that Beautiful Joe Park is an incredible tribute to not only a dog named Beautiful Joe (this is his final resting place), but to amazing dogs everywhere.

Beautiful Joe was a horribly abused dog who was rescued by a local Meaford family.  The park is next to the home of the family who at the time rescued and rehabilitated Joe.   An award-winning book was written about his story, and it is autobiographical (from Beautiful Joe's viewpoint):  
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/saunders/joe/joe.html. 

I can't explain the feeling when you are in the park.  You can actually feel the amazing spirit of these great animals - it is impossible to describe.  Oddly enough, the park had absolutely no wildlife at the time I went, yet somehow it seemed full of life.  There is a great blog post here that tells the story much better than I could:  http://robandtheanimals.blogspot.com/2009/09/beautiful-joe-park-meaford-ontario.html

Here are a only a few of the plaques and statues that are placed throughout the park.  Beautiful Joe, below, welcomes visitors as they enter the park.

If you are ever in Meaford, Ontario, and are a dog lover, Beautiful Joe Park is a must-visit!

Doggy fun in Meaford

There wasn't a lot of wildlife other than a flock of beautiful snow buntings, but my camera still got a workout.  I think the dogs were ready to kill me by the end of the trip!

The had an amazing time - running, swimming, and playing with their human friends.   They sure didn't act like 12 year olds this weekend!

Osgrrr taking a breather

Johnny couldn't get the smile off his face - he even went swimming!

Homeward Bound

Still smiling!

Stealth!

Playing in the field

Beautiful Meaford Sunrise

We found this beautiful kitty (with incredible heart markings)
while on a walk.  Fortunately the dogs weren't with us for this meeting!

Return of the Woodpecker

Today was a special day - I had the privilege of helping out with a woodpecker release.

A few weeks ago a homeowner named Sharon found an injured woodpecker in her backyard.  It had suffered some sort of trauma, possibly it was stunned by a window strike and then was further injured by a cat, who by no coincidence was standing close to the bird when it was found.

Sharon picked up the bird, who was in pretty bad shape, and took it to Toronto Wildlife Centre, where they took it in and gave it their usual dose of TLC.  Today was release day!

The woodpecker had been finishing off its recovery in a comfortable outdoor enclosure complete with a great woodpecker house - a log had been hollowed out, then reassembled to simulate a tree hole.  When I caught up the woodpecker and we put it into it's "tree hole" the bird began to rat-a-tat from the inside of the log while I was holding the log in my arms!  I was amazed at the force it used to peck.

When we got to the release site, TWC rescue staff member Andrew climbed a ladder to fasten the house to a tree so that the woodpecker could come out in his own time. 

It had been quiet for most of the morning but it seemed to sense our excitement and decided to try to release itself!  The rat-a-tatting went on for quite some time.

When the cover was lifted off the entrance, the woodpecker stood in the doorway for a moment and took it all in.  

Excuse the awful pics - lighting was terrible!

When he was done assessing, he left his temporary home and flew into a nearby tree.  He began to peck the moment he landed, and for several minutes he explored the tree.  It was like he never left.

Amazing to see how an animal that badly injured could make such a great recovery - another TWC success story!  It is also great to know that there are people who will take the time to care for an injured animal and drive it to where it can get help.   For more information:  http://www.torontowildlifecentre.com

Fall in Algonquin

Despite almost 3 days of high wind, torrential downpours and totally unpredictable weather, we had a great time in Algonquin this past weekend.  When the rain got too heavy it put a damper on my photography capers but I had my camera's raincoat so we set off to see what we could see.

The highlight of the trip were two bull moose on Opeongo Road. One was sleeping quite close to us, but unfortunately behind several layers of foliage.  Manual focus finally kicked in for a few shots and I was able to get an outline of the antlers.  What you see here is only a fraction of the size of his headgear. 

Once in a while he would lift up his head and we onlookers could only gasp.  Beautiful, powerful and magestic beasts!

I love shooting in the fall and throughout the winter, more than any other time of year.  Although we missed prime time for Algonquin's fall colours, we still had lots to enjoy.  Fall really highlights what earth tones are all about.

On both Sunday and Monday I found this heron on Opeongo Road, in different areas.  Hopefully he will migrate soon - it was already starting to get chilly!

The rain and dark skies presented Algonquin in a different light.

This was the cottage we would have stayed in if we'd spent more money on accomodations.  Instead we chose to stay in the cute cabin on the same property.

This is the real owner of the cottage.  He has homes in every nook and cranny outside the property (and I suspect inside the walls too!).

A couple of tired pooches (who are still exhausted today!) had a great time.

Bye to Algonquin for another season.  Hope to see you in the winter!

Juvenile Night Heron

When you're having a bad flight shot day, these guys are good for the ego - they don't move to fast and seem to hang in the air.

My Photography Fettish

Most photographers I know gravitate to a certain type of subject.  One friend stops to take photos of old shoes left on the shoulders of highways (seriously!).  Another photographer is a magician with water droplets.   I didn't think I had a leaning toward any one subject (excluding wildlife of course!) but having recently sifted through some old photos I've figured it out...feathers!  

I love the randomness and think they are so beautiful, whether attached to a bird or randomly discarded. 

Today there were plenty to choose from on the marsh.

I also love how feather patterns vary from one species of bird to the next.  It is so artistic.  Black and white seems to illustrate this well.

Common Tern

Great Egret

Rough-Legged Hawk

Great Egrets

I love this time of year in part because of the abundance of Great Egrets.  I lucked out today when I found this semi-friendly Egret.  He chose to preen quite close to me and didn't seem the least bit concerned.

My...what big feet you have!

Keep Cats Indoors

Another reason why cats should be kept indoors.  I love cats but I hate to see a creature suffer at the paws of a domestic animal.

http://www.keepanimalssafe.ca/learn_more_about_the_issue.php

Bald Eagle!

An unexpected surprise as I toured Durham's backroads this weekend!  Someone who knows much more about Eagle IDing said this was a one year old bird.

Golden Hour

Although I tend to prefer the golden hour at the crack of dawn, the pre-dusk golden hour is also a great time to shoot.

There are still five remaining Great Egrets at Rouge Park Beach.  I found these birds very hard to shoot even in good conditions (so easy to get blown highlights) but I was happy to get a few interesting shots.

Last update on the 5 orphaned turkeys

I'm happy to say that the five orphaned turkeys have twelve new siblings and three moms :)   Early last week I found the nursery flock, the one that had initally had three moms and twelve young at the time of release.  They now added five more to their family.

The two larger ones from TWC are very evident in the flock - they are growing so fast.  A very very happy ending!

Update: The Fearsome Five Still Strutting Their Stuff!

Those who know me know I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to animals, and my escapades today provided more evidence.

I was still on a high following yesterday's amazing release but, as I usually do with orphan releases, I started to worry.  About night critters...coyotes....anything else that could harm them.  And I worried that since they hadn't yet integrated into a flock, they wouldn't have learned how to get away from danger, and understand that they need to get waaaay up high at night in order to stay safe while they sleep.

So I took a "shortcut" to work this morning and went to their field, and was sad to see no turkeys there.  On the one hand I knew they were fine, but I couldn't help feeling a little bit responsible for their well-being.  If only I could somehow know that they had survived their first night, I would stop worrying.

After 15 minutes or so I headed to work, turkeyless.

On the way home tonight I took another "shortcut" and passed by the field again.  I didn't really expect to see them or any other critter because it was raining pretty hard.  Instead of letting common sense prevail, I got out with my (soaking wet) binoculars and searched the field.  I'd heard a crying type sound in the treeline in the morning and had now talked myself into the possibility that one of the turkeys was trapped in the felled trees. 

So I waded through the muck in the rain (sadly, that's not the first time I've done something like this) and walked the perimeter, first along the east side, then along the south forest edge, where they had been released.  I was trying to get a look inside the forest to see if I could seen any sign of them. 

I reached the end of the field and was pretty disappointed.  I turned to head back to the car and saw a sight that caused me to almost fall on my *ss in the muck.  I saw that five little turkeys had come out to see what the commotion was about!  I have no idea how long ago they had emerged from a hiding place.  They were neither interested or uninterested in me, they were just content to peck and walk in their usual back-and-forth zigzag.

I left the field as quickly as I could (my shoes now weighed 10 lbs each with all the mud) because I didn't want them to think of me as their flock.  My ego was a little bruised when they didn't so much as cast a good-bye glance my way, but I was so thrilled that they are so indifferent to humans!   There's always a risk that flock birds will bond to humans which is very dangerous when they are released, but TWC did a great job in keeping them wild.

So now I can rest easy, and leave them to their new territory knowing that, although they haven't yet integrated into a flock (maybe they are content in their own little flock) they survived night one on their own and I'm now convinced they will be just fine :)

Three of the Fearsome Five out for a snack