14
THE SUN
www.amisun.com
FEBRUARY 1, 2023
Bald eagle on mend at Wildlife Inc. following eye injury An American bald eagle is on the mend at Wildlife Inc. in Bradenton Beach. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH - While it’s always a treat to spot an American bald eagle, an observant individual in east Bradenton recognized one of the majestic birds was in trouble and knew just who to call for help. “This eagle was found in an industrial park out east,” Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. volunteer Krista Carpenter said. “She was on the ground and he could see something was wrong, so he called us.” The non-profit Wildlife Inc. is an animal rehabilitation center that takes in more than 3,000 animals each year. The adult female bird - estimated to
be around 5 years old - had suffered an injury to her right eye. “We’re not sure how her injury occurred, but it was pretty bad,” Carpenter said. “She presented with blood in her eye and we’ve been treating her for the past several weeks.” Carpenter said the eagle has been showing signs of improvement and will be released at a future date. “She’s a really strong bird,” Carpenter said. “It appears that her vision is improving.” Carpenter said that removing the eagle from her crate for feedings has become a challenge due to her strength. “That is a really good sign,” she said. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), bald eagles are not uncommon in Florida. “Florida has one of the densest con-
centrations of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs,” according to the FWC. “Concentrations of nesting territories are clustered around several significant lake, river and coastal systems throughout the state.” FWC has monitored the population of nesting bald eagles in Florida since 1972. The bald eagle was removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list and the FWC imperiled species list in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, according to the FWC. “The population of bald eagles continues to do well, both nationally and in Florida,” according to the FWC.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
An adult female bald eagle peers out of her crate at Wildlife Inc. as she recovers from an eye injury several weeks ago.
Non-profit Wildlife Inc. seeing increase in need An animal rescue volunteer creates a card game to benefit Wildlife Inc. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH - Wildlife Inc. volunteer Kellie Sellin Edland combined two of her passions to create a fundraising tool for the non-profit animal rehabilitation organization. “I love cards and games and I love animals,” said Edland, a Wildlife Inc. volunteer since 2019. “So I had the idea to create the game called Critter Rescue.”
The concept of the game is based on her experiences at the organization. “Each player takes six animal cards, and then gets six ailment cards and tries to match up the ailment to a cure,” she said. Animals can be common - such as rabbits or raccoons - or an uncommon flying squirrel or rare fox. They are then matched up with ailments to cure, such as poisoning, injury, sickness or being orphaned. Cures can include surgery, inducing vomiting, medicine or electrolytes. “It’s an educational game, but it’s also fun,” Edland said. “It shows people what we do here.”
The game is targeted to ages 14 and up and is for two to five players. The purchase price of the game is $25 and a portion of each sale will be donated to Wildlife Inc. “After the cost of printing the game, all of the profits go to Wildlife Inc.,” Edland said. “This game makes a great Valentine’s Day or Easter gift,” Wildlife Inc. cofounder Gail Straight said. “And thinking ahead to Easter I would tell people if they buy a rabbit or a chick, not to gift real live animals. Make sure that baby rabbit or chick is made out of chocolate.” SEE WILDLIFE, PAGE 15
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Wildlife Inc. founder Gail Straight, left, and volunteer Kellie Sellin Edland hold the Critter Rescue game, created by Edland to benefit the non-profit animal rehab organization.