Over the years we've helped WRCNU with many wild birds and other wildlife, but two instances stand out in our minds.
The Beavers and the Fuel Spill
A few years ago, there was a diesel fuel spill near Willard Bay that affected a whole family of beavers. They were brought to us by WRCNU, and not only was their fur and eyes damaged by the fuel, but they had ingested the fuel as well. We knew this because we could smell the fuel in their urine/feces for days after they arrived at WRCNU. It took months to treat them, until finally the whole family was cleared to go back to their habitat. If it hadn't been for WRCNU and their constant care and dedication, those beavers would've suffered or even died. In fact, we thought we would lose some, if not all of these precious animals.
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| Moving beavers to release location in the Uintahs |
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| One beaver after release |
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| One beaver eating a carrot after he was healed |
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| Dr. Folland taking a blood sample from tail of one of the beavers |
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| Beaver in the back of DWR after arriving at WRCNU |
Phoenix the Golden Eagle
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| Photo by Kent Keller |
This story is tear-jerking and completely amazing. Phoenix was only a baby when a terrible wildfire hit part of Utah in 2012. He was found on July 4 among the ashes, feathers and feet burned and separated from his parents. We knew the parents had been there because prey had been found next to him at the bottom of the cliff, where the nest had once been. It was estimated he had spent 10 days with third degree burns before being found! WRCNU obtained him and brought him to us for treatment. It was heartbreaking knowing he had been burned and alone, with no water and only a little bit of food before being discovered. He was in bad shape to say the least. We were unsure of what might happen to him. Things would look up, but then there would be issues with treatment. Somehow he pulled through. He then developed West Nile Virus on September 11, 2015 and survived that as well. With each event he managed to stay alive, along with the help of PCVC and WRCNU. Unfortunately, Phoenix never did make it back into the wild, but he is alive and currently under the care of WRCNU. He is definitely a miracle bird and wears the name, Phoenix, proudly!
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| July 4 rescue day. Look closely. There is a ground squirrel in the lower right corner and some hindquarter under him (likely a jack rabbit). Photo credit: Kent Keller |
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2017 photo of Phoenix.
Photo credit: Kent Keller
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Not every case has a happy ending, but most of them do. We thank WRCNU for all their time and sacrifice to help these animals and get them back into the wild (where they should be).
For more information about WRCNU or to donate, please click the links.
