SPCA Media Invitation: Rescued Turkey Vulture Release 2/6/19
On January 3 the SPCA for Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center rescued a Turkey Vulture in Elkhorn Slough. The Turkey Vulture was suffering from severe lead poisoning.
When he was rescued, the Turkey Vulture was unresponsive with a low body temperature and signs of crop stasis. SPCA wildlife rescuers provided supportive care with fluids, nutrition, and heat to stabilize the Turkey Vulture. Once the lead toxicity results came back positive, skilled SPCA wildlife rescue staff began treatment to help him. After three weeks of intensive treatment, the Turkey Vulture made a full recovery and began pre-release conditioning in one of our large outdoor flight aviaries.
After one month of treatment, the Turkey Vulture is finally healthy and ready to be released back into the wild! We invite all media to witness him fly free again. We will release him tomorrow, February 6, at 11:00 am in Elkhorn Slough. If you can join us, please contact Beth at 831-760-0426 or bbrookhouser@spcamc.org for the location details.
Turkey Vultures are common scavengers in our area. They are large birds with bald, red heads and wingspans of 63–72 inches. They are often seen soaring overhead in groups, feeding off carrion, or sitting in exposed trees in the morning with their wings spread wide to warm themselves.
Lead poisoning is seen in local rescued wildlife when an animal consumes a lead bullet while feeding off the carcass of an animal that was shot. It can also be seen when an animal is shot but survives.
The SPCA Wildlife Center is available for emergency wildlife rescues 24 hours a day. To support our work, please visit www.SPCAmc.org/donate. To report injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife in Monterey County, please call 831-264-5427.
The SPCA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is the only full service wildlife rehabilitation center serving Monterey County. We operate under permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Your support is extremely important to us, as we do not receive funding from any federal, state or local government agency. Each year, The SPCA Wildlife Center admits over 2,000 animals for treatment and care.
The SPCA for Monterey County is your nonprofit, independent, donor-supported humane society that has been serving the animals and people of Monterey County since 1905. The SPCA is not a chapter of any other agency and does not have a parent organization. They shelter homeless, neglected and abused pets and livestock, and provide humane education and countless other services to the community. They are the local agency you call to investigate animal cruelty, rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife, and aid domestic animals in distress.
