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Hi Gang, It’s me. Peewee! To rescue wildlife? Read what we did this year |
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Our
Holidays are never dull, especially that year.
After our
experience with Barney the Barred Owl (www.emumagic.com/peewee/barney.html) you think all would go
quietly on the Ranch. Well it did until
July 4th, our Country’s
Pat had
just started a tour of the Ranch when the telephone rang. A lady who had read the newspaper stories
about Barney had this unknown type of bird sitting on the driveway at her
neighbor’s house and it hadn’t moved for a long time but it appeared alert. She asked for help.
Pat called
in George and our helper Aurora from the outside work and they hurried into
town to see if the bird could be helped and this is what they found:
This little
Western Grebe was hurt and was frying on the driveway. George had Aurora approach the Grebe from the
front while he came in from the back and he quickly caught it after a few short
hops into the grass, and the Grebe was put into a padded box.
Being a
major holiday we could find no one to help the grebe-who was bleeding and very
stressed. Aurora’s family was gathering
for the holiday and expecting her, and without being able to reach any
veterinarian even on the emergency phone numbers, George took the Grebe he
nicknamed “Indy”, because of the special nature of the day, and had Aurora hold
the Grebe in the box while he drove it to Garrison Minnesota and the care and
attention of Dr. Debbie Eskedahl and the “Wild and Free” Wildlife
Rehabilitation Program. Dr. Debi was out
of reach of her cell phone at a parade, but a technician was at the hospital
feeding the animals and agreed to wait for Indy. En route Dr. Debi called and said she would
hurry back from the parade to take care of Indy.
Our team dropped
Indy off and it was clear he had trauma wounds and lacerations, he was severely
dehydrated and might have been shot also. Dr. Debi sent our team home.
That night
Dr. Debi called and confirmed the diagnosis.
Indy was getting stitched up and fixed up. Also Dr. Debi said Grebe’s can’t be kept for
long so as soon as he was ready for release he needed to be put back into the
wetlands.
Dr, Debi
called the next day to tell us how Indy was doing. She asked if we would like to release Indy
back into our lake, and we were really happy.
She said he would be ready Monday morning.
Pat picked
Indy up from the Wild & Free program
and brought him back to the Ranch.
It was
decided that because Aurora got into a lot of trouble with her mother over
missing a part of the July 4th celebration and because Aurora has
only one eye and is 20/150 in the other, she would get the honors of releasing
Indy.
Indy came
back to us in a cardboard transfer box.
One thing about Grebes—they eat lots of minnows. His box was full of poop that smelled like
dead fish—oooooo.
Pat & Aurora carefully took
Indy out 
Indy let go a long poop stream and almost hit
Indy tried to bite her and
splash her 
Then Indy quickly cruised away
into the reeds,
About 20
feet away he turned, raised the crown on the top of his head and stared
with
those beady red eyes directly at George,
And
another wild creature was returned to freedom by our Ranch
Indy found freedom and was
returned to the wild on July 8, 2002 onto Lake BelleTaine in Nevis
What a cool year it had been!
Stop back soon for more of my
stories!
I have my own e-mail address, so write me at peewee@emumagic.com and let
me know what you like.
See Ya soon!
Peewee!
Just click on the story title you want to
read.
Peewee Finds A Home
Peewee's Fall Story
Peewee's October Story
Peewee's Quiz
Peewee's Puppy Visits Minneapolis
Peewee is part of the Family of Ratites
Pictures of Peewee's Emu Family
Peewee's Crossword Puzzle-Young Kids
Peewee's Crossword Puzzle-Older Kids
Help Peewee Get Home
Peewee's Word Puzzles for Kids
Returning
Barney to the Wild
Interlinked
Pages
My Human Friends
EmuMagic Emu Oil Products
Heart
of Minnesota Emu Ranch
Heart
of Minnesota Emu Ranch Tours
Photographs courtesy of Pictures by George
@gmciii@emumagic.com and Corbis at www.corbis.com