Just 20-30 minutes south-east of Atlanta, wildlife rehabilitator Michael Ellis is nursing some dwarf baby squirrels, teaching a great-horned owl independence and giving permanent shelter to a couple bobcats. His outfit, AWARE (Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort), is the biggest wildlife rehab center so close to such a big city I’ve seen.
Ellis, whose been rehabbing wildlife for two decades, says having big Route 20 nearby is crucial. You ride a few miles off the highway through farmland and the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and you’re at Aware, which looks like a house with an extensive kennel system. If you serve animals, why be near a city? Most wildlife injuries involve people (or their cars or cats). But more importantly, the best way to help animals is to teach people how not to kill them.
“I could spend 45 days saving one opossum or 45 minutes with one class of 30 kids and end up saving 1,000 animals over their lifetime,” Ellis says. The grim truth of wildlife rehab is that–except for maybe a few endangered species–its broad impact on animal populations is pretty much nothing. Squirrels and starlings are in no danger of going extinct. “But it makes a big difference to that one animal,” says Ellis. And each of the animal treated impacting the people who find them or learn about them at the center. That’s why Aware wants to reach every kid in Atlanta.
A few of those that can’t make in the wild live out their time at
Keep reading Atlanta’s Wildlife Hosptial
 Carolina Raptor Center, Just N. of Charlotte, NCShelby greets you as you enter the Raptor Center and she’s annoyed with you (if you’re a dog, for example) she is likely to puff up like she here. Shelby is a great ambassador to the world of injured big birds of prey. Her story is sad, but not that uncommon. She was caught in a leg trap, beaten, then discarded in a dumpster. Someone found her and brought her to the Carolina Raptor Center, which rehabilitates sick and injured birds. Shelby’s eyes were too damaged for her to hunt in the wild, so she has a permanent home here.The center attracts a wide range of visiors–families, scouts, bikers–and most read Shelby’s story then ask “Why would anyone throw an owl in a dumpster?”Some birds are nursed to health behind the scenes. About 27% of birds who survive won’t be able to make it in the wild. So, 100 live here, including great horned owls, bald eagles, barred owls, screech owls and a part-albino red-tailed hawk.It takes about 2 hours to see everyone. On weekends there are special shows.
Where to See Animals Down South
To see more animals go to animaltourism.com
 Berkshire Bird Paradise, Grafton, NYBird Paradise is one of the country’s biggest bird sanctuaries. (It’s also one of the hardest to find, off Route 2 in NY, near the Massachusetts/Vermont border.) More than 2,000 birds (100 species) live here and lots of them are the big ones everyone wants to see: bald and golden eagles; many kinds of large hawks; exotic pheasants; former pet songbirds; barnyard refugees; black swans. You’ll walk through a long green house-esque tunnel of former pets, then out to the yard. Ducks, geese and swans swim in a pond while pheasants and chickens wander around. Twelve bald eagles hang out together in the back. At the right time of year, visitors can hide in a special blind to watch a disabled bald eagle matings pair, Ross and Marilyn, and their family. The chicks they raise fly off to the wild (though return for occassional visits).Director Peter Dubacher started rescuing birds here in 1975. Friendly supporters drop by with food, building supplies as well as money.When chicks aren’t around, the emus still the show. These giant gangly birds are very curious about their human visitors. About human height, they seem to want to dance with you from the other side of the chain link fence. They twist their necks around to get a closer view and beg for food. About 40% of the birds here couldn’t make it in the wild and so will live out their lives here.
Where to See Neat Animals in the
Keep reading Berkshire Bird Paradise: The Biggest Bird Sanctuary in New York
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