Raven Ridge Visits MTPL

On July 7, more than 40 children and adults gathered at the Manheim Township Public Library for a presentation by Tracie Young, wildlife rehabilitator and founder of Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, a nonprofit organization located in Washington Boro. Young brought along a few Raven Ridge ambassadors to help her discuss the importance of Pennsylvania wildlife.

"There are only 31 rehabilitators in the state," said Young of her work at Raven Ridge, noting that the organization specializes in birds of prey, such as owls, vultures, hawks, and eagles. She explained that her licensure, through the Pennsylvania Game Commission and others, enables her to rehabilitate orphaned and abandoned wildlife to return them to their native environment. She explained that without a license, it is illegal to raise or keep wildlife.

Some animals brought to Raven Ridge, unfortunately, are not able to be returned to the wild, so Young keeps them as ambassadors. At the library, Young introduced attendees to Eastern box turtles Ozzy and Harriet; Oberyn, a black rat snake; Dottie the opossum; Monster the skunk; Pharaoh the great horned owl; and Baron von Vulture, a black vulture.

Young explained that Harriet has only three legs, but she is one of fastest turtles at the center. "They are losing their habitat to development," she said of box turtles, further explaining that the turtles spend their entire lives within a 1-mile radius and should not be moved except to help them cross a road.

Holding Oberyn, Young shared some information about black rat snakes. "These are one of the most docile snakes," she said. "They can climb trees and buildings. They go after bird eggs."

Dottie the opossum became an ambassador after three attempts to release her to the wild failed. "She is a Virginia opossum," said Young, who noted that opossums do not carry rabies because their body temperature is too low to harbor the virus.

Ambassador Monster came to the center as a baby with a runny nose. Monster's mother abandoned her, and Young suspected the baby had a sinus infection. She eventually discovered that Monster had a deviated septum and could never live in the wild.

Pharaoh the great horned owl is a foster dad for the center as well as an ambassador, helping to raise about 40 baby owls in the last two years. He can turn his head 270 degrees due to an extra vertebra in his neck. Pharaoh was hit by a car and his wing never healed properly, so he lives at the center.

Baron von Vulture was also hit by a car. Young explained that vultures can eat dead and decaying animals because their stomach is more acidic than a car battery, allowing them to even eat animals that have died of rabies. She noted that the area from Lancaster to Gettysburg has a higher concentration of vultures than anywhere else in the state. "(The vultures) followed the soldiers in the Civil War," she explained.

Readers who would like to learn more about Raven Ridge may visit http://www.ravenridgewildlifecenter.org.