The new Los Angeles County Raptor Rescue Center in San Dimas is rehabilitating birds of prey such as owls, hawks, and falcons with broken wings and twisted legs so they can fly and feed themselves independently. The center, located at the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center, aims to release over 200 injured raptors back into the wild each year. The program received $200,000 in funding from Supervisor Kathryn Barger to operate for a year, with a goal of treating 250 injured raptors annually.
The trained staff at the center work with injured raptors, determining if they can be released back into the wild or kept as program ambassadors for educational purposes. The center has released 30 raptors into the wild since its opening, with a soft launch planned for July 20. The program hopes to attract volunteers and raise funds to support its operations and goal of restoring balance to the ecosystem by helping injured birds of prey.
The center has already faced challenges, with some raptors becoming imprinted on humans, making them unfit for release back into the wild. To avoid imprinting, staff do not name the birds and maintain a distance while caring for them. The center is also working to address environmental factors contributing to injuries, such as trees disappearing from neighborhoods and increased vehicle strikes on birds.
Overall, the Raptor Rescue Center is focused on rehabilitating injured raptors and releasing them back into their natural habitat to support biodiversity and maintain the important role these birds play in the ecosystem.
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