Wildlife Rescue of the Month
Meet Miguel, a feisty adult female who was chasing rangers on Calabash Caye when they were cleaning up their nature trail (she’s named Miguel as rangers have known this croc for years and had already named it). The reason for Miguel’s aggression was because she was defending her nest, and the trail just happened to be built close to a good nesting spot. So this wasn’t an issue of a “problematic” croc but just a Mama croc being a mom! The CRC headed to the location and conducted adverse rehab conditioning, which includes getting crocs to be timid and shy of humans, giving them a second chance in the wild. We are happy to say after 3 days of our program, Miguel is now protecting her nest when she hears humans instead of chasing humans to protect her nest!
Project Description
After years of responding to injured wildlife in southern Belize, which included manatee, pelican, iguana, raccoon, and snake rescues, the CRC quickly recognized their role as a wildlife rescue responder in the area. With increasing responsibility to respond to wildlife calls from community members and various partners throughout the country, the CRC soon realized it was imperative to set up a mini-triage center with the appropriate equipment in order to tend to small and severe injuries, stabilizing animals and increasing their chance of survival during transport and arrival to the appropriate veterinary facility or rehabilitation center elsewhere in Belize. Given our close partnership with the Placencia Humane Society (PHS), the CRC and PHS solidified the partnership via the CRC Wildlife Triage Center, located at the PHS clinic. Thanks to an initial donation and support by veterinarian Dr. Gary Martin from Houston, Texas and various other vet supporters from the United States, the CRC is now fully stocked with basic wildlife first aid in addition to training to assist in wildlife triage. A small step, yet big leap, to the future CRC Research, Rehabilitation, and Education Facility planned for the area of the Placencia Lagoon.
Interested in providing supplies for the CRC’s Wildlife Triage Center? Here is a list of supplies that CRC and PHS could use for injured animals (wild and domestic) that come under our care: gauze; abdominal pads; bandages; various size dog/cat kennels for transportation of injured wildlife; donation to build temporary holding pens for injured wildlife; financial donation to assist in gas/transport from Placencia to rehabilitation/veterinary facilities; gloves; compound microscope; dissecting microscope; security cameras for wildlife/croc enclosures.
Would you like to learn more about the veterinary or rehabilitation process of animals that come under our triage care? Please check out our partner’s pages to find out more about their veterinary and/or rehabilitation facility, and by all means- don’t be shy to support our colleagues!
- Placencia Humane Society: http://placenciahumanesociety.org/
- Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic: http://www.belizewildlifeclinic.org/
- The Belize Zoo: https://www.belizezoo.org/
- Belize Bird Rescue: http://www.belizebirdrescue.com/
- Belize Raptor Center: https://www.belizeraptorcenter.com/
- Wildtracks: http://www.wildtracksusa.org/
