A gift of $5.00 feeds a baby raptor for one day, helping to support their rapid growth while in our care. How else does your generosity directly support baby raptors?
The Raptor Center’s hospital received this great horned owlet with a broken leg nearly beyond repair. Early nestling raptor's long bones can grow as fast as 0.5 inch in length in 3 days! Because baby bones are still developing, we cannot use the same fracture repair techniques as we can in fully grown raptors with well developed bone structures.
With expert skill, our veterinarians placed an intramedullary (IM) pin through the hollow center of the broken leg bone (tibiotarsus) in order to keep the bone pieces aligned, supported by a brace (splint).
The initial surgery and splint placement was a resounding success. Within 11 days after the surgery, the bone had healed enough that both the IM pin and the splint could be removed. Within 15 days, the bone had fully healed. For context, this fracture would have taken 30-40 days to completely heal in an adult owl.
The successful care and release of this owlet despite the odds stacked against it is more than just one feel-good moment. This owlet was able to give us excellent insight into effective fracture treatment techniques in nestling raptors, and its fight for a second chance at life will impact out future success at treating young raptors in need of our care.
Raptors are one of the wild’s hardest workers in keeping our natural spaces healthy, diverse, and thriving. Baby raptors are the future of our ecosystem's continued health and face immense challenges in their critical first year of life. Supporting their medical care today helps keep our natural spaces beautiful every day. Your support is needed to help The Raptor Center get our baby birds soaring.
Your generous gift up to $25,000 will again be matched by loyal donors Ann and Tom Schwalen.
Each spring, The Raptor Center (TRC) sees an influx of more than 250 young raptors in need. Our hospital is nearly 100% donor supported, meaning your help goes directly to the medications, equipment, food, and expertise required to save these raptors.
Will You Help Us Save Baby Raptors This Spring?
Please give today and help us save baby raptors fighting against the perils of life in the wild. Your gift will be matched dollar to dollar up to $25,000 - the babies are counting on you!
For more information or to give via phone, please contact Ellen Orndorf at 612-624-8457 or at eorndorf@umn.edu.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok for exciting content!
Make sure to also subscribe to our newsletter for updates, program information, and ways to get involved at TRC!
https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/The-Raptor-Center-Baby-Shower-24