Protected Bird Rescued, Treated for Gunshot Wounds

Blue Ridge Wildlife -- Dec 9, 2021 We admitted four hit-by-car raptors yesterday, but this Black Vulture

was the only one that had also been a gunshot victim. 

This patient is resting for now with strong pain medications and supportive care while we re-evaluate the eye trauma, brain trauma, and soft-tissue damage daily. The prognosis for a full recovery is guarded at this time.
Vultures (Black and Turkey) are the two species we admit most commonly as gunshot victims despite shooting these protected birds being completely illegal. This crime has been reported to our state wildlife agency and US Fish and Wildlife Service for further investigation.  
This vulture was rescued with the help of Loudoun County Animal Services and Kristi's Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education, as were many of the other traumatically injured raptor patients we’ve seen this week. They noted that the vulture was found near a dead deer. 
When animals are feeding on roadside carcasses, cleaning our environment, and protecting human health, they're often not paying close attention to traffic. Please slow down and give these animals space! Many have gunshot injuries, lead poisoning, or other reasons that may make it hard for them to get out of your way fast enough. 
We’re glad that this patient made it to our facility for care and that it’s pain is now well-controlled. Many hit-by-car and gunshot victims are not so lucky and suffer for days as they slowly die. 
These animals help protect human health by cleaning up carcasses left in the environment, using their powerful stomach acid to destroy zoonotic pathogens like rabies, botulism, and anthrax. They are public health heroes and they deserve so much better than this.
#GunshotVictim #BlackVulture #HitByCar #WildlifeRehab

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