Fall/Winter 2011 - Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue

Newsletter
El Paso / Las Cruces
Vol. 22, Winter THE EAGLE 2011
Photo by Susie Jensen
A Bright Spot in a Cold, Cloudy Morning
I can still feel the flutter of life between my breasts and see the smile on
Laure’s face.
You all know that age-old adage that everything happens for a reason. As
I get older it seems to become truer and truer. My son stayed home sick from
school this morning and I decided to stay home instead of going to Jazzercise.
Thankfully I did, because I received a frantic message on my answering
machine from a long time friend and neighbor. “Susie, it’s an emergency.
Please, please call me! I found a baby bird in my dog’s water bowl
this morning. Please call me back. I need you!” I wasn’t really surprised to
get a bird call since there was a horrible wind storm last night (December 1 st ).
I decided just to go to Laure’s house instead of call since she is so close.
She met me at the car and handed me a towel. As I unwrapped it I found a
paper towel enclosed and began to worry because I couldn’t find the bird!
I have been feeding thistle seed for the first time this year and have been
pleased to have numerous new birds in my yard including Lesser Goldfinches.
Their charming little chirps, the sound their wings make when they
flit about and how they seem to communicate with each other always enchants
me.
So lo and behold, as I gently opened the paper towel I found the most
beautiful drop of sunshine laying there: a male Lesser Goldfinch! The bright
lemon yellow of his breast almost seemed to glow and contrasted sharply
with his black head. I couldn’t believe I was actually holding God’s flying
piece of artwork in my hand. Perhaps I had been watching this very one at
me feeders! I was amazed at how diminutive he seemed compared to when
they are at my feeder. He was extremely still and seemed stunned.
I knew he must have been freezing from the wind and water so I did the only thing I could think of; I put him in
the warmest place I could think of; inside my blouse, right above my bra. Laure chuckled at this and said he must
be pretty happy in there. As I got a tour of Laure’s newly remodeled home, he was so still and so light I almost forgot
he was there.
As we entered her bedroom I felt my little captive begin to twitch, then stir, slowly at first and then with more and
more strength. His tiny claws against my skin tickled! I looked at Laure and said “I think we need to let this little
guy go.” She said “Really? I don’t think he can fly.” I said “He wants out, I can tell, and if I don’t let him out, he’ll
get out.” By this time, he was struggling up towards the opening in my t-shirt and I had to cup my hand against him
to keep him from flying out. Thank goodness my t-shirt had a high neck.
I was a little concerned when we stepped outside into the courtyard because it is surrounded by a high stucco
wall, but I knew I had to try. I had barely got him out of my shirt before he flew up and over the wall to land in a
willow, his flight making the sweetest song of freedom.
Laure’s face lit up with joy and I felt such a sense of rightness. We embraced and cheered as he alighted on the
willow branch and perched and began cleaning himself quite thoroughly, the white bars of his wings flashing. I am
sure he was trying to remove as much of the memory of me as he could, but my memory of this most delightful
event will stay with me forever. And with Laure too, I’m sure.
- Susie Jensen
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces

Follow up on the Little Desert Ghost
by Bill Howe
As mentioned in the last issue, CDWR had been made the guardian of a rare leucistic (partial albino) red fox
in early August and we were in the process of placing her with the Spring River Zoo in Roswell, New Mexico. The
red tape and documentation to do so was finally accomplished in early
October of 2011.
First we had to get the animal placed on my zoological permit
and then obtain an export permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife. This
was finally accomplished in late September. Then we ran into a Catch
22. New Mexico Game and Fish required a health certificate for the
animal before they would issue the import permit to the Roswell Zoo.
Texas Department of Health regulations prohibit any Texas veterinarian
from touching a fox. Mr. Larry Brunt and Dr. Bernie Paige with
El Paso Animal Services came to the rescue and offered to examine
the animal and provide the required document. Griselda Martinez of
the El Paso Zoo transported the fox to Animal Services for the physical.
Did I mention that TDH regulations state that only zoo personnel
or law enforcement can transport any quarantine animal in Texas?
Once that document was emailed to the Roswell Zoo the date of
October 19 was set for the transfer. Griselda came to my facility about 11:00 that morning and was quickly able to
get Luna on a leash in preparation for the trip. Shortly, Scott from Roswell showed up and the transfer was completed.
Once at the zoo, Luna was isolated and kept in quarantine for two weeks during which time she was spayed.
On November 2 the time arrived to introduce her to her cage mates, the resident pair of neutered regular male red
foxes. Everyone had their fingers crossed. Initially, Luna was placed in a small transport cage in the exhibit so the
animals could explore each other and see if there was any sign of aggression. After that, Luna was released into the
exhibit and the formal greetings began.
All went well and
Luna now has her forever
home and is happy to have
companions of her own
species.
CDWR would like
to thank these fine folks
who made all this possible:
Griselda Martinez of the El
Paso Zoo; Dr. Bernie Paige
and Mr. Larry Brunt of El
Paso Animal Services; Dr.
Ken Waldrup of the Texas
Department of Health;
Capt. Robert Newman,
Warden Ray Speares, Dr.
Cesar Mendez and Chris
Maldonado of Texas Parks
and Wildlife; New Mexico
Department of Game and
Fish; last but not least,
Luna with one of her new companions
Griselda, Luna and Scott just before
leaving for Roswell
Marge and Scott from the
Spring River Zoo.
Page 2
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces

EL PASO AREA
CDWR CHIEF DISPATCHER
915-772-6011
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Lorraine Snelling .............................................................. 592-9642
* CDWR DIRECTORY *
www.whc.net/cdwr
Call these folks in the El Paso/Las Cruces area when you find an injured/orphaned wild bird/animal:
LAS CRUCES AREA
For all wildlife emergencies in the Dona Ana County area
please call New Mexico Department of Game & Fish at 575-
532-2100 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5p.m., 2715
Northrise Drive, Las Cruces, NM.
REHABILITATORS
Central/East
Bill Howe (turtles/lizards/small exotics) ........................... 772-0695
Northeast -
Charles/Carrol Bella (raptors/reptiles/mammals) .............. 751-4711
West -
Carol Miller (birds, water birds) ...................................... 584-7088
Sarah Forrestal (small mammals/birds) ............................. 588-6467
Geoff Wiseman (reptiles/snakes) ................................ 915-525-0261
COOPERATING VETERINARIANS
Central -
El Paso Veterinary Hospital, 4101 Montana ...................... 566-7387
Montana Animal Clinic, 1015 Chelsea .............................. 778-9588
El Paso Animal Emergency Center, 1220 Airway ............. 545-1148
East -
Johnsen Animal Hospital, 1851 N. Lee Trevino ................ 592-6200
Americas Animal Clinic, 630 Americas Ave. ................... 858-1971
Animal Clinic, 7184 Alameda ........................................... 778-5355
Northeast -
Northeast Veterinary Clinic, 9405 Dyer ............................ 755-2231
Harwood Veterinary Clinic, 4404-A Edgar Park ............... 755-5653
West -
Crossroads Animal Hospital, 4910 Crossroads ................. 584-3459
Country Club Animal Clinic, 5470 Doniphan ................... 833-0645
Anthony Animal Clinic, 901 Franklin, Anthony TX ......... 886-4558
TRANSPORTERS/TROUBLESHOOTERS
Northeast -
Joe/Inga Groff .................................................................... 755-2957
Nancy Bain ........................................................................ 822-9228
West -
Susie Jensen ....................................................................... 877-4036
Jane Poss ................................................ (h) 587-8831, (c) 390-8052
East -
Linn Anderson ................................................................... 859-5413
Our list is getting shorter! We need
help! Please call and volunteer!
REHABILITATORS
Tracie Buffington (tortoises)………………………...575-644-9297
Sharon Culver (rabbits)……………………………..575-373-9802
SILVER CITY
Margaret Cejka (birds, excluding raptors) ............... 575-537-6624
COOPERATING VETERINARIANS
Jornada Vet Clinic, 2399 Saturn Circle.................... 575-382-1710
TRANSPORTERS/TROUBLESHOOTERS
Abe Mendoza ........................................................... 575-382-1732
Jack Diven Family .................................................. 575-642-3603
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue, Inc.
General Meeting Announcement
January 24, 2012
6 p.m.
El Paso Community College
6701 South Desert Rd.
(room to be posted on campus)
Please join us for our updated PowerPoint Presentation
- an overview of our vision and purpose for
wildlife rehabilitation in the El Paso area.
Our presenter will be Sophie Sherborne, a new volunteer
with CDWR. Sophie worked for Carolina
Wildlife Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center located
in Columbia, South Carolina.
After the presentation we will have a short business
meeting and elections will be held.
CDWR is seeking interested persons in assuming
an active role on our board of directors.
Please help us shape the future of wildlife rehabilitation
and education in the El Paso Area. It cannot
be done without your help.
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces Page 3

Board of Officers
President: Susie Jensen
Vice Pres.: Marcia Fulton
Secretary: Inga Groff
Treasurer: Sheila Morrison
Board of Directors
Diane Fox
Debbie Lofton
Dr. William Snyder
Carol Miller
Vacant
Newsletter Editor
Susie Jensen
The Purpose of CDWR
Wildlife rehabilitation is the
care of injured or orphaned
wildlife for return, where
possible, to the wild. Successful
rehabilitation takes a
lot of time, a lot of effort and
no small amount of money.
It is challenging work, done
by special people. Chihuahuan
Desert Wildlife Rescue
is a nonprofit organization
which exists to help the rehabilitators
in the El Paso/Las
Cruces area. Our purposes
are to:
♦ provide a volunteer network
to assist active reha-
♦
bilitators in their work
support wildlife rehabilitation
programs financially
♦ provide education and
instruction in wildlife rehabilitation
♦
♦
Page 4
* CDWR *
El Paso / Las Cruces
educate the public about
wildlife conservation
problems
work for the reduction of
pressures on native wildlife
from domestic animals
and humans
Cat Overpopulation is a Problem That Must
be Addressed Quickly by Darin Schroeder
Recently, American Bird Conversancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation
organization, called on the major of the 50 largest U.S. cities to help stop the epidemic of
feral cats that threaten our bird populations as well as scores of other wildlife species.
In the letter (www.abcbirds.org/PDFs/TNRmailing.pdf) ABC urged the majors to support
responsible pet ownership and to oppose Trap=Neuter-Release (TNR) programs that
promote the feeding of outdoor cats.
Cat overpopulation is a human-caused tragedy that affects the health and well-being of
cats, our native wildlife, and the public.
Outdoor cats, even when well fed, kill hundreds of millions of wild birds and
other animals each year n the United States, including endangered species.
Birds that nest or feed on the ground are especially vulnerable.
The domestic cat is an extremely effective predator that has been introduced by modern
man into an environment whose native species are ill-equipped to defend themselves.
For the cats, it means one easy meal after another. For native wildlife, it is a death sentence.
It is not surprising, therefore, that studies indicate that the 95 million outdoor and feral
cats on the loose in the United Sates kill at least 532 million birds each year, possibly significantly
more.
Specifically, ABC is asking the majors to issue a policy directive opposing TNR, and
to halt city funding for the practice if any is currently being expended.
Clearly, dog overpopulation problems aren’t solved by simply turning unwanted dogs
loose into the streets, the same should be true for cats.
And TNR simply does not work in reducing the free-roaming cat problem.
Study after study shows that TNR colonies to not diminish over time.
Instead, they become dumping grounds for unwanted pets, and cats too wily to the
trapped continue to breed.
Instead, ensuring responsible pet ownership must be at the core of any long-term solution
to cat overpopulation.
Cats can also transmit diseases such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and cat scratch fever to
humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared that cats are
the top carrier of rabies in domestic animals.
In just the last month, about 30 feral cats in northwestern Florida were euthanized following
tests that confirmed two were rabid.
Food left out at TNR colonies attracts not only more cats, but hungry wildlife as well,
which increases the chances for interaction with rabid animals.
Three people in Florida living in the vicinity on TNR feeding sites were bitten last year
by rabid cats and had to undergo rabies treatments.
ABC suggests communities concerned about feral cats work to enact mandatory licensing
programs, the fees from which can fund programs to help find homes for unwanted
pets and education pet owners about keep their cats indoors.
TNR is not humane to the cats or wildlife. Free-roaming cats are in constant danger of
being hit by cars, contracting diseases and parasites, or being attached by other animals or
people.
The dumping of unwanted pets at colony sites only serves to continue the inhumane
cycle.
Some TNR programs track TNR managers and neglect to track the NTR colonies
themselves, compromising their ability monitor related health and safety issues.
Other groups who, like ABC, oppose TNR programs include: National Association
of Public Health Veterinarians, The Wildlife Society, and the People for
Ethical Treatment of Animals.
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces
Darin Schroeder is vice president
for Conservation Advocacy
American Bird Conservancy in
Washington D.C.

A Beautiful White Stripe
From El Paso, you take I-10 West to I-25. From there, you drive. All and all, it’s about 3 hours from El Paso to
the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/), which is just South of San
Antonio, New Mexico. It’s also North of Fort Craig, New Mexico, but that’s another visit waiting to take place.
I discovered the Bosque a couple of years ago. Someone told me about it and I was amazed that, as a photographer,
I hadn’t heard of it. So my wife Sherri and I made a trip up there one cold January day. That was all it took to
get me hooked.
This wonderland gets visitors from all over the world (and it’s in our backyard!). We’ve met people from England,
Norway, Canada, Africa, Croatia and the list goes on and on. All of these people came to see the wildlife that
come to the Bosque del Apache.
Some of the wildlife comes there just for the winter months (sand hill cranes, bald eagles, etc). Others are there
year round (mule deer, coyotes, etc). Some years you’ll see Great Blue Herons, while other years you’ll see American
White Pelicans.
This time, we stopped there on our way to another wonderful
place, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary but that’s for another newsletter
(http://wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org/). It was the Saturday after
Thanksgiving and I was looking forward to seeing what new and
wonderful creature(s) I was about to encounter.
As we drove slowly along, suddenly I spotted a white stripe
swooping down and out of view behind some trees. Then just as
suddenly, it was back up and in the air with another bird with the
same white stripe.
I knew by the wings that it was a bird of prey, but I didn’t recognize
the white stripe on the rump. I’ve seen Bald Eagles
(including earlier in the day), Golden Eagles, Harris Hawks, Redtailed
Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and others. This was not one I was
familiar with. That white stripe was such a contrast from the dark
wings and body (when seen from the back/top).
As I came to a stop and got my camera out, this beautiful specimen
circled and hovered close by. A couple of times it seemed to
be watching me as I snapped pictures and just admired the beauty
of this animal. I just couldn’t get over the white stripe.
When I had a chance, I looked at the pictures on my laptop. I
compared the pictures with the photographs in “Birds of Western
North America (A Photographic Guide).” Nothing I found was a
match. Enter a GREAT resource who has more knowledge of
raptors than I do: Helen Bigelow.
I figured if I couldn’t figure this out doing internet searches or
looking through books, Helen should recognize the white stripe
and be able to tell me what I had photographed. So I spoke to her
and then sent her a couple of pictures.
With all of her years of experience with Raptors, Helen was
ready for the challenge. And then she sent my pictures on to Scott
Cutler, at UTEP. Scott confirmed that this is an adult, female
Northern Harrier. Beautiful stripe and all.
Now, I wonder what I’ll find the next time I visit the world
known wildlife refuge, just a few hours up the road from home.
Thanks, Helen and Scott, for identifying this beautiful, white
striped bird for me.
- Daniel K. (Deacon) Foote
C D W R * El Paso / Las Cruces Page 5

Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife Rescue, Inc.,
P.O. Box 12583, El Paso, Texas 79913
I would like to become a member of
CDWR and help our area’s wildlife.
Join us now and help make a
difference for wildlife!
$25.00______
$75.00______
$50.00______
Amt:_______
Thank you for your support. Your contribution is a
wonderful opportunity to help orphaned and injured
wildlife and to support the efforts of the CDWR volunteer
rehabilitators. With membership you will receive a
yearly subscription (3 issues) of the newsletter.
Name: ___________________________________
Address: _________________________________
City:_____________ State:______ Zip:_______
Phone:_______________ Email:_____________
CDWR is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
and all donations are tax deductible.
P.O. Box 12583
El Paso, TEXAS 79913
www.whc.net/cdwr
NON PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
CANUTILLO, TX
PERMIT NO. 001
Reminder to all to drive carefully—we’re on the road, too!!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Volunteer with us at CDWR for life changing challenges
with our wildlife.
Photo by Susie Jensen