Peregrine Falcon: Juneau
 | Quick Facts: - Hatch Year 1998
- Female
- Weight: 2 lbs.
- Found in Point Mouilee, Mich.
- Illegally shot
- Un-releasable due to dislocated right shoulder
- Limited flight
|
On Sept. 5, 1998, John Holt of Melvindale, Mich., spotted something unusual: a peregrine falcon walking along the beach of Lake Erie. He noticed one of the bird’s wings was drooping, and the falcon couldn’t fly. On Sept. 10, 1998, the bird arrived at The Raptor Center. Her weight was about right for a peregrine falcon of her size, but she had obviously suffered trauma to her right shoulder. A radiograph revealed a pellet in her lower right breast area. Juneau had been shot. A team of specialists carefully removed debris from the entry wound, flushed it, applied medication, and bandaged the wound. The process would be repeated many times over the next six weeks. By the end of September, Juneau’s wound had healed, but there was still a problem with her right shoulder. While she was capable of short flights, she could not lift her shoulder to get off the ground. An X-ray confirmed irreparable damage.
|
