Last November, a Bald Eagle was found in a ditch in Tetonia, Idaho. It had been shot through the back and had damaged bones in its wing. The eagle had been on the side of the road for days and was in critical condition.

A passerby called the Teton Raptor Center, and the bird was rescued.

Porgy McLelland, a volunteer with the Teton Raptor Center, who helped build the new facilities, which open officially July 1, said the wounds were severely infected and the bird had to be hand fed.

But over the next eight months, the bird made a triumphant recovery and was released back into the wild around June 14.

“Birds don’t get released unless they are 100 percent,” McLelland said. “[The eagle’s release] was a special event even for people who have worked with eagles for 30 years.”

Being there for raptors who have been shot, poisoned (often by lead), hit by cars or have run into windows is a primary objective of the Teton Raptor Center, but building understanding and awareness in communities that live around these birds, and among people who try and shoot them, is a secondary objective.

On the summer solstice, the Teton Raptor Center held its grand opening under the good auspices of beautiful weather and happy faces.

In the field behind the Hardeman Barns a tent-full of people picnicked, danced to live music and marveled at the powerful birds the Raptor Center intends to rehabilitate and share with the community.

Roger Smith, director and founder of the Raptor Center, said the opening felt like a big step. “We wanted to create something of real community value,” he said, “We wanted everyone here to believe that they are invested in the Raptor Center, that they have an opportunity to be involved.”

Smith started the Raptor Fund in 1997, housing many of the birds in his own garage. Needing more space, he started operating from a small facility at Three Creek Ranch. Last spring, he approached the Scenic Preserve Trust, who oversees the Hardeman Barns and surrounding land, and asked if he could lease the space for the Teton Raptor Center.

The Trust agreed, and work began at once remodeling the Barn’s old machine shop into the Raptor Barn. The Raptor Barn and exterior raptor cages were finished at the end of March. The facility includes a 500 square foot treatment room, where injured birds receive medical attention, and eight rooms to house the birds.

Integral to the Raptor Center’s objectives are community outreach and education. By reaching out to students in local schools and the general public the non-profit intends “to foster a better understanding of wildlife, their habitat requirements, their relationship to a healthy ecosystem, and the role of human/wildlife conflicts.”

“It’s not every day you have the chance to get this close to wildlife,” Smith said. “Really, Raptors are like big mountain lions with wings.”

Sam Stapleton, 9, who was on vacation with his family from Chicago, liked the Golden Eagle the best, although the Great Horned Owl was pretty cool too. “I was most surprised by how the eagle could turn his head all the way around to look at me,” Stapleton said.

Gus the Golden Eagle was found beneath his nest as a fledgling. His wing was deformed, possibly crushed by his parents while still in the nest, and he couldn’t fly. Gus has been moved into the Raptor Centers educational program because he will never be appropriately rehabilitated.

Owly the Great Horned Owl, may be the Raptor Centers biggest celebrity. Most elementary school children in the valley have met Owly at one point or another. She was hit by a car on Fall Creek Road in 2004 and has also been adopted into the educational program.

Finally, Ruby the Red-tailed Hawk is the Raptor Centers third permanent resident. She was hit by a car in 2004, permanently damaging her eyesight.

She and all the others invite you to come visit, volunteer or support the Teton Raptor Center sometime soon.

The Raptor Center opens officially on July 1, and will host tours Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Please call 307-203-2551 to schedule a visit.

Popularity: 9% [?]