Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society  

My two month internship at the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society was a once in a life time opportunity. I learned so much while I was there, not only about animal care but about myself. That being said it is not to be mistaken for a walk in the park. It is a demanding internship with long hours, lots of cleaning and tasks that are both physically and emotionally demanding. It requires patience and flexibility. Time management is also an important skill to have, or one that you will learn. There are many rewarding aspects of this internship as well. Being able to see the improvement in the injured wildlife is an amazing feeling. As well as, seeing birds released that we raised from young.

 One of the most enjoyable aspects is that everyday is different. One day you may be asked to stay and take care of everything at MARS or you may be asked to go pick up an animal from the veterinarian on short, if any notice. You must be able to adapt to changes in the schedule and be reliable and dependable.

 Personally I enjoyed the rescues the most, partly I think because they are always different and sometimes challenging. You have to be able think on the spot and assess the situation. This internship requires independence and the ability to make decisions quickly. You have to be able to tackle your fears and do things you never thought you would be able to do.

 I was lucky enough to experience many different phases of the wildlife cycle during the summer. When I first got there it was baby season, almost every cage was full and there were many birds in the ICU. Then there were many juvenile birds that came in, some were unsuccessful fledglings and others were victims to cat attacks. Shortly afterwards the eagles started coming in. During my internship we had 8 eagles over a 3 week period, some were juveniles that had fallen from the nest, and others were injured adults. The last notable phase was the seal pups, most of which were abandoned by their mothers.

 One of my most memorable rescues was in the last few weeks of my internship. I had to pick up a bird from a veterinarian in Campbell River and on the way got a call about a seal pup that needed rescuing on the beach. After borrowing a pair of gloves and a towel from the veterinarian I drove to the beach where I was shown where the seal was. A brief examination of the seal pup revealed that the side of its head was swollen. Using the towel as a hoist I carried the seal pup to the Jeep. I was able to do this rescue unexpectedly by myself, and was able to make the call whether it should have been brought in or monitored. I was also able to educate the people who found it what to do next time.

 Each case that I saw was different, some more memorable than others, but one that I will never forget was an adult bald eagle that we rescued from somebody’s yard. She had paresis in one of her feet, and an eye condition that made her eye cloudy. When we first brought her back she wouldn’t eat on her own so we had to force feed her at least twice a day and administer eye drops. The first time that she ate on her own was while I was holding her and another intern was holding a bowl of fish pieces and force feeding her. She suddenly reached her head out and grabbed for the food dish. We were then able to put her in a bigger pen, where she eventually was able to use her foot again. Shortly after that she was transferred to another rehabilitation center. It was very rewarding to know we were helping her heal.

 I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time at local veterinary offices, including a holistic veterinarian. I had the opportunity to watch numerous surgeries, even surgery on a Merlin. I would like to thank Sunrise, Shamrock, Puntledge, Tree of Life and Van Isle veterinary clinics for the opportunity to shadow in your clinics. I would like to thank Maj and Keith for this opportunity. Finally, I would like to thank the other interns and volunteers for all your help and support.