In the state of Florida, there is no government agency caring for wildlife. It is all up to volunteer wildlife rehabilitators.
It is an expensive and time-consuming job requiring them to turn to the public for assistance, both volunteer and monetary.
The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay, based in Brandon, will host its largest annual fundraiser on Saturday at Medard Conservation Park in Turkey Creek, tucked between Brandon and Plant City.
The Wonders of Wildlife Festival promises to have something for everyone. In addition to the birds of prey that will be on hand, there will be a baby alligator, sheep and cows, artists, ducks, food and a costume parade.
“We started this festival in 2019 at E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin and it was a big success,” said Nancy Murrah, president of The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay.
“We had 22 or 25 vendors and raised $7,000, enough to say we should do it every year.”
This year, the goal is $10,000 and there will be 40 vendors on hand.
There will be a crested caracara, two screech owls, a barn owl, kestrel, opossum and other animals on view and Murrah will give a presentation on ocean conservation with a live mermaid.
Several artists will also be on hand with paintings and jewelry for purchase.
“We care for in excess of 1,000 birds and animals each year,” Murrah said. At the moment, her home in Brandon serves as Ground Zero, with the hopes someone will step forward with two or three acres so the center can expand into a public arena where education events will become a regular part of the program.
“We came from all different rescue groups and rehabbers and just realized we clearly needed a rehab center for birds of prey,” Murrah said. “Right now, I’m standing in a room with a caracara, two great-horned owls and two barred owls. Everybody else is outside.”
Murrah has a band of about 100 volunteers that regular work to rescue injured animals and drive them to Busch Gardens where they receive free treatment. They do education programs, build websites and help take care of the birds.
Busch Gardens provides free surgery for birds brought in by wildlife rehabilitators as a community service, Murrah said.
“We specialize in birds of prey, including eagles, owls, kites, falcons, hawks, vultures and osprey,” she said. “The injuries they sustain, for eagles a lot of them are fighting injuries. They also get hit by cars, run into buildings or get bitten by cats. Generally, the injuries are the result of interference by humans. If you slam into a building during migration, is that your fault?”
Gunshots are another big problem. The center recently got a merlin in from Bowling Green that had been shot and two vultures from another area that had both been shot.
“We cover Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee and Highlands County and go over to Pinellas, Pasco and Manatee Counties,” Murrah said.
I addition to the rescues, The Raptor Center does education and outreach on the hazards wildlife face and ways to preserve these species.
“Watching out for wildlife in the state of Florida is no one’s responsibility, so it is everyone’s responsibility,” Murrah said. “We try to work with people we know are good at what they do. If we get an otter, we don’t do otters, so we escort them to the Owls’ Nest Sanctuary. If it’s a bobcat, we don’t do bobcats, but we get them to A to Z Menagerie or to Big Cat Rescue.”
The Raptor Center also works with state agencies, including the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has recently reorganized and gone from six call centers to three, making it more of a challenge to reach wildlife rehabilitators closest to the injured animals, she said.
Murrah, herself, got into rehabilitation coming in sideways, she said. “I got into rehab through the Audubon Eagle Watch program. I got a call one day that one of my baby eagles was on the ground and Audubon asked me to go pick it up.”
Before long, Murrah was working with Save our Seabirds, getting regular calls to rescue injured wildlife throughout the region.
Now, she and her volunteers are working to get a permanent site for the center. Meanwhile, the money raised at the festival will be used to care for and feed the birds in their care.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased online or at Medard Conservation Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Road, Plant City. There is a $2 admission into the park and those over 12 pay $15 for the festival. Younger children are free.