Mark's on the Move: Center brings labor of love to injured wildlife animals / LJWorld.com

Lawrence and Douglas county

Sheryl Saunders, left, Operation WildLife animal care coordinator, and 6News reporter Mark Boyle give fluids to an injured hawk.

By Mark Boyle

August 2, 2009

Mark's on the Move: Lending animals a hand

A non-profit organization takes in injured animals and nurses them back to health. Enlarge video

6News Photo

This Bald Eagle is one of two at Operation WildLife in Linwood. The center cares for more than 250 raptors, brought by state officials or area residents.

Linwood — Editor’s note: Reporter Mark Boyle takes us behind the scenes of news stories in the area. This week, he takes on the animal kingdom. Operation WildLife is an animal care center in Linwood that takes in wild animals that have been injured. The nonprofit center is run completely with donated items and funds. Mark got a hands-on look at the day-to-day lives of the center’s volunteers.

They’re injured, in need of care and represent nearly every native Midwest wild animal species one can think of. Some are animals with four legs and others with just two, including rare raptors and even the occasional duck.

If they’re lucky, wild animals injured in the area will make it to Operation WildLife, where volunteers work around the clock, seven days a week to provide care.

“It’s a tough task,” said Sheryl Saunders, animal care coordinator for the center. “We take in everything except things that are poisonous and deer.”

The center cares for more than 250 raptors including barred owls, great horned owls, hawks, falcons and even two bald eagles, one of which serves as a public education bird. All of the animals are brought to the center by area residents or state officials. The center serves nine area counties.

While many of the stories behind the injured animals can be sad, Operation WildLife works hard to rehabilitate the animals so they can be released back into the wild.

“It’s very important,” said KU student and center volunteer Megan Heacock. “Animals have been my gut passion for a while and I feel like I am doing some good so I enjoy it a lot.”

Volunteers and donated items, including money, are critical for Operation WildLife. The center cares around the clock for hundreds of animals in need and without help from the general public, these animals that need so much would go without.

“If we didn’t have those, we couldn’t do it,” said Roger Rucker, who volunteers regularly at the center. “It takes about four to five volunteers per day from 8 to 4 and two or three at night from 4 to 8, seven days a week, in order to keep it going.”

While the Operation WildLife volunteers admit that this job isn’t for everyone, it’s definitely one that is important.

“The best part is when we get to let them go after rehabilitating them for a long time,” Heacock said.

On this day we were able to release two hawks back into the wild. Many animals do not have the same fortune. Some never recover and are euthanized, and others are kept for public education animals. The staff works hard to make sure that every animal at the center is given the best chance at survival.