The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Brandon Iwamoto Rocky Mountain Raptor Program volunteer Leah Geurtz, an educational bird handler, walks an "education ambassador" prairie falcon outside on Tuesday morning at their facilities at 720 East Vine Drive.

Every Thursday, Doug Johnston makes his rounds cleaning cages and stuffing flesh into the glinting talons and sharp beaks of squawking birds of prey.

Johnston, 56, has experienced a lot life has to offer, but nothing quite matches up to his days volunteering at Fort Collins' Rocky Mountain Raptor Program.

"It's the coolest thing I've ever done in my life," Johnston said.

With the motto "A second chance at freedom," for more than 30 years the RMRP has aimed to rehabilitate and set free injured and sick raptors found throughout the Rocky Mountain region. A raptor is any bird that hunts with its feet, including eagles, hawks, owls and falcons. 

"Our main goal is to rehabilitate the birds and educate the public," said Bob Francella, the director of public support at the center. 

The birds, which are found and reported by regular citizens, are brought to the raptor medical care facility located at 720B E. Vine Drive in Fort Collins where the program assesses them for injury and illness and treats them. The RMRP's current service area covers nearly 300,000 square miles -- an area larger than the state of Texas.

Most injured birds the center sees have suffered collisions with vehicles, and about 60 percent have run into buildings, power lines or been poisoned, Francella said. On rare occasions birds are brought in that have been shot. 

The RMRP's 150 or so volunteers, including Johnston, are instrumental in caring for birds as they heal in the program's main facility, which handles 95 percent of the program's cases. The more serious cases go to CSU's Veterinary Medical Center for surgery.

Although Francella said a peaceful ending is the "best thing" the program can do for birds that are too sick or injured, it does manage to release 75 percent of its patients back into the wild. On average, the center saves 275 raptors a year.

"Any time someone puts in effort to help an animal it's a good thing," said freshmen biology major Audrey Huntsberger.  "They are trying to help the ones that couldn't make it make it." 

Continued...

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