Enlightened
By Betsy Whitlock
Belle Hollow Farms and Exotics, Franklin, NC

Not long ago I had an experience that opened my eyes even wider to the plight of private ownership of wild or exotic animals and wish to share it with others who may, like me, be unaware.

Upon arriving at my Real Estate office early one morning I was told that a hawk or eagle had been discovered in the parking lot by a couple of tourists staying at the motel next door. I went out to see and sure enough, two gentleman where trying to prevent the bird, a huge Red Tailed Hawk, from walking out into traffic on Main Street. Obviously they were in awe of this magnificent creature, if not more than a little afraid, but doing their best to keep the injured bird safe until help could arrive. They said the bird had been there all morning and they had called NC Fish and Wildlife who had not yet shown up. They had no idea when they might arrive. It was cold and the bird was obviously frightened so I decided to help in the only way I knew how. The bird appeared to be in basically good health but obviously had broken the extreme end on its’ left wing and was unable to fly. I gently dropped my down winter coat over the frightened fowl, gathered him up and took him in the office where it was warm. I called my local vet who, I knew, had worked at the raptor center at Auburn during her vet school days, so I felt she would at least know what to do next. I crated the bird in a soft-sided kennel, which I use in the office to socialize our exotic kittens and off we went to the vet’s office.

When we arrived my vet told me that since it was a Red Tail or Red Shouldered Hawk and thereby “common” (not to me), if the bird could not be repaired to 100% flight, it would be euthanized by NCF&W without further consideration. She said there was nothing she or I could do unless we could find a rehabilitator or Wildlife Educator willing to take the bird. I was SHOCKED! This magnificent creature considered “common” by the people who deal with them regularly, the so-called “experts”, was to be destroyed with no effort made to help him. I could not believe my ears. I was always under the impression that the stringent regulation of Raptors was to protect them and that there where rescues and wildlife rehabilitators ready and willing to help these birds. Boy was I surprised to find out that not only was no one interested in saving this bird, but the very laws that protect its species required that it be destroyed.

Now, I am not completely naive. As a member of the Feline Conservation Federation and private owner/breeder of exotic cats, I know that many animals are hard to place, various existing laws already limit private ownership and many end up in sanctuaries or are euthanized if no facility can be found. But NO ONE was even going to try to find a home for this bird! Our government as a means of “protecting” these fabulous predators has passed laws so stringent that even the possession of a single feather is prohibited. There is NO private ownership/shelter or Sanctuary for these birds in North Carolina and to actually try to qualify to rehabilitate or offer an educational program with one requires more paperwork than most people can even imagine, and building a facility that may never be approved. It is my understanding that as many as 4 birds a week are destroyed at the University of Tennessee Vet. School, as there are not enough qualifying rehabilitators or educators to take in these birds. The NC Fish and Wildlife people told my vet that this was the 3rd bird this week for them. It is easier to own a tiger in North Carolina than to offer shelter to one of these birds. God help us all if the government continues to “protect” our entire natural world to death.

I got on the phone and found a rehabilitator in a nearby community and she guided me to the Wildlife Vet licensed by the State to surgically repair this bird. It seems that he was going out of town for 5 weeks on a trip to Alaska, so if the bird was to be saved, the vet must see him that day, otherwise they would just put him down. Turns out that he had no time to see the bird and even though I drove 80 miles to get the bird to him, he was prepared to destroy the bird. Were it not for the caring of the dedicated rehabilitator, Jan Harris, from Fletcher, NC, this bird was going to die. Ms. Harris knew a vet capable of doing the needed repair in another town. This vet had stopped seeing wildlife due to health considerations, but was willing to handle this bird for her. But for the caring of Ms. Harris, there would be every chance that no one would try to save this beautiful creature, since thanks to stringent regulation to protect “Birds of Prey”, there are no homes or Sanctuaries available. With only one vet able to handle the wing repair in Western North Carolina, the chance of returning this bird to full flight on a tight vacation schedule was not promising. Fortunately for this hawk, Ms. Harris has an educator/rehabilitator in mind who will try her best to return the bird to the wild if he can be repaired or try to find an educator that can fit him into their program if he is too damaged to care for himself. Now keep in mind that those same protection laws also limit the number and species of birds an educator can keep or a rehabilitator can try to rehabilitate, so many birds that are lucky enough to find their way to safety still end up DEAD by regulation!

I see this as a real lesson to be learned when our government tries to protect us with new regulations on the ownership or possession of wild or exotic animals. No one apparently questioned the rules when they where put in place to protect Birds of Prey many, many years ago. I assumed, like everyone else, that these laws would protect these birds and give them every chance to survive in an ever increasingly hostile world. WRONG! Now every day birds that could have functioned as ambassadors for their species, or at least be given a chance to live out their lives in a safe captive setting, are destroyed in the name of “protection”. I understand that a captive bird of prey is not desirable or necessarily a happy situation, but at least give the animal a chance. Euthanasia by regulation is just wrong!

I would ask every person who sees this writing to think about the laws we have now and those that will pass in the future. What happens when in the name of “protection” it is decided that private owners or caregivers shouldn’t keep parrots or other wild or exotic birds, like birds of prey, in captivity? When the “protectors of the wild” decide to save them, they can and will pass laws that any bird not fully able to fend for himself in the wild should be destroyed. Then maybe next it will be raccoons, opossums, foxes, rabbits, bobcats etc. (it already is in our State) if unable to fend for themselves in the wild are “euthanized by regulation”. No consideration is given to rescue or private care and ownership as a potential alternative because after all “no one but the experts” can care for these animals, so lets just euthanize them all. Then when no wild creature can live in the “wild” because there is no more “wild”, then there won’t be a problem disposing of or caring for what’s left because there will be none left. Then maybe all the domestic animals that aren’t fully functional should be destroyed since obviously they will have special needs and care requirements and of course “only experts” can give that care. Next thing you know big brother may come for you and yours.

We are already long ways down this slippery slope and if average people don’t begin to notice soon that our government is protecting our world to death, the natural world as we know it will be gone. A lot of animal rights people like to point to the cruel treatment of animals by people who stand to profit at the animals’ expense, or exhibit animals to the public (farmers, ranchers, private owners, zoological institutions). These supposed animal lovers/activists are the very people who beat the drum to pass animal protection laws that would euthanize this magnificent Hawk. Is it cruel to allow responsible people to try their best to save an animal from euthanasia? If an animal has an opportunity to be an ambassador for his species or any other species, or if by its captivity, an animal can inspire a new generation to save the remainder of the natural world, then that captivity and the people who care for the animal are not wasted. Simple regulations that do not allow people to do the right thing or take stewardship of gods creatures when they find themselves in need are not regulations I believe we need.

The next time you hear of a proposed law to prevent people from owning or caring for wild or exotic animals, I hope you remember that the alternative to private ownership is DEATH for most of these animals. By regulation, if private owners aren’t allowed to take charge of these animals, then no one will. If the government makes it so difficult to qualify as a licensed caregiver to care for wild or exotic animals, then there will be no place for any wild or exotic who, was born into captivity or has by an unfortunate turn of events, needed humans to step into its’ life. I would not begin to say that everyone should take in all kinds of creatures. But then I don’t believe everyone should take in domestic pets like cats and dogs. There are horror stories a plenty of cruel treatment, unbelievably poor care and neglect for simple dogs and cats. Regardless of those nightmares, for those persons willing to make a life long commitment to care for an animal, be it wild, exotic or domestic, should have the opportunity to do so. It is not the animals fault regardless of its’ species or status, wild, domestic or exotic that it needs someone to care for it. Certainly there are bad owners and poor caregivers for all creatures including our own species, but to assume the worst for all people willing to try to give shelter and aid is a stark condemnation of all of us.

Betsy Whitlock is the current Secretary of the FCF. She has spent her entire life with animals of one nature or another. She and her husband operate Belle Hollow Farms and Exotics, a USDA approved facility, located in Western North Carolina where they breed serval hybrids (Savannah cats) and are busy acquiring a breeding colony of Geoffroy's Cats. They currently own 2 servals and 5 Geoffroy's. Her web site is Belle Hollow Farms & Exotics  and she can be reached by e-mail at betsywhitlock@hughes.net

Images Copyright © Zuzana Kukol & REXANO

www.REXANO.org