The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
WILDLIFE CENTER HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
Public got a closer look at Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center at Penitentiary Glen
The public was able to get a sneak peek into the lives of their wildlife neighbors at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center open house event.
At the open house, which took place at the Penitentiary Glen Reservation at 8668 KirtlandChardon Road, the public was able to learn about the diversity of species the center receives for wildlife rehabilitation at several wildlife stations.
“We do a wildlife open house annually and it’s just a great way to give the public a chance to come here,” said Tammy O’Neil, wildlife care manager. “It’s a great way to introduce people to what we do here and the importance of what we do. We’re always out there trying to help injuries and orphaned, native, Ohio wildlife.”
Based on past events, the event draws anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 people.
“We opened up in 1985 and the open houses every year — we do different themes to focus on issues that wildlife encounter or
why we get them in,” O’Neil said. “We’re trying to teach how to humanely coexist with wildlife, how to help with wildlife and about all of the different species that we rehabilitate here.”
The theme for this year’s open house was could you be my neighbor, which focused on common wildlife people may find in their yards and giving them information on those animals. Additionally, the animal care staff provided keeper chats, which take place at every event the center hosts.
“We interact with some of our animal ambassadors. These are all wildlife native animals that couldn’t be released again,” O’Neil said. “We do them with our fox, our crow and our bald eagle, Apollo.”
Among the stations people could visit at the open house was Laurie Hager’s, who has been volunteering for 10 years and who enjoys educating people on wildlife.
Hager’s display showcased what people should do in the case of a bird hitting a window.
“If the bird is stunned, put it in a little box and see if it will come back after a few minutes,” Hager advised. “Most of the time, they’ll just fly away. If you see serious injuries or it can’t get up, put it in a little box and bring it here.”
Other things people can do to prevent birds from crashing into windows is turning off the lights in rooms that aren’t being used, Hager said.
“It’s important because especially downtown, once you leave the lights on in the taller buildings, birds will actually crash into these taller buildings,” Hager said.
Over the years, the trends in the amount of species the center gets in has evolved, O’Neil said.
“I’ve been here for 27 years. Different species are impacted or population numbers have gone down because of human impact or environmental issues,” O’Neil said.
In addition, there are different diseases that pop up that affect wildlife such as avian influenza or white nose syndrome that’s affecting bats, O’Neil said. However, staff members have seen a great awareness from the public.
“They’re seeming to take a stance on where they’re concerned about wildlife and want to help them, and have a better understanding,” O’Neil said. “There’s more of a connection with more people and wildlife, and they’re being aware they’re in their yard and aware of issues out there impacting wildlife. A lot of people want to help and that’s a great feeling.”
Annually, the center receives almost 2,500 animals that staff members try to rehabilitate and release back into the wild.
Summer is the center’s busiest time because animals are having babies and migrating.
“In the winter, we can have 20 to 30 animals here. In the summer, we can have 200,” O’Neil said. “Overall, we have a 55% release rate. It depends on their injury and the extent of their injury, or if they have a disease we can treat.”
When people encounter wildlife or if they have questions about wildlife, O’Neil encourages them to reach out to knowledgeable, wellversed resources. They may also call the center’s wildlife hotline, which is 440256-1404, or visit Lake Metroparks’ website.
“We’d rather people take the time to educate themselves before making any decisions about issues they’re having in their yard or if they find hurt animals,” O’Neil said. “People are really showing they have a passion for helping animals, so it’s nice to know they support us and that we can, in turn, support them.”