Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Causes Animals to be Euthanized by WDFW

[pianoman9701]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
November 13, 2017
Contact: Eric Gardner, 360-902-2510
Penny Becker, 360-902-2694
WDFW evaluates deer at rescue facility
after euthanizing 4 habituated animals
OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers are evaluating the behavior of 11 young deer at a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in Thurston County, where they euthanized three fawns and an elk calf last week after finding those animals had become habituated to humans.
An initial investigation found that the operators of the For Heaven's Sake Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation in Rochester had violated the terms of their state permit and have been prohibited from caring for deer, elk, or other large animals in the future.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now trying to determine whether the remaining deer at the facility also have become too tame to release into the wild and – if so – whether new homes can be found for them.
Eric Gardner, head of the WDFW Wildlife Program, said the department has tentatively placed up to six female fawns in a longstanding nutritional study at Washington State University, but that no other qualified facilities have agreed to adopt the remaining animals since the problem was discovered in late September.
"This is a tough situation for everyone involved," he said. "The department licenses wildlife rehabilitators to prepare sick, injured and orphaned animals for release back into the wild, but those animals have virtually no chance of surviving if they become habituated to humans."
Gardner said habituated wildlife can also pose a threat to public safety, citing the example of a habituated buck deer that gored two people during a marathon run in Davenport, Wash., last month.
State regulations and national wildlife rehabilitation standards direct wildlife managers to euthanize habituated animals rather than release them into the wild, he said.
Gardner said the situation at the Rochester facility could have been avoided if the rehabilitators had limited human contact with the animals, weaned them sooner, and released them into the wild in accordance with state guidelines.
He said a WDFW wildlife rehabilitation specialist saw no evidence of habituation during a routine visit in early August. But after receiving a tip from the public, the specialist returned unannounced in late September with a WDFW wildlife veterinarian and found significant problems with human habituation.
"As soon as the two staff members entered the enclosure the fawns came right up to them and started nuzzling them for food," Gardner said. "The elk calf actually head-butted one of them in the hope of being fed."
Wildlife managers euthanized the elk and three fawns that demonstrated they had lost their fear of humans by approaching them during a third visit by WDFW staff Nov. 9.
WDFW records show that Claudia and David Supensky have been licensed to operate the For Heaven's Sake Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation since 2010, with no previous violations of state regulations.
Gardner described the Supenskys as caring people who work hard on behalf of the animals placed in their care. This is the first time the they have been found to violate the rules against habituating wildlife at their facility, he said.
There are 31 licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Washington, 25 of which are located west of the Cascade Range. Most are registered non-profit organizations and all rely primarily on donations and grants to cover their operating expenses.
Gardner said many of the deer and other animals that wind up in rehabilitation facilities are removed from the wild by people who mistakenly believe they have been abandoned by their parents.
"Wildlife rehabilitators provide a great service to our state by caring for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife," Gardner said. "People do this work because they care about Washington's native wildlife."
On average, each facility is visited annually by WDFW personnel, Gardner said. Any indication of problems will prompt more frequent visits and inspections.
Additional information about wildlife rehabilitation in Washington is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/.

[Bushcraft]

No mention of what happened to the meat.  Was it donated to a local food bank?

[pianoman9701]

No mention of what happened to the meat.  Was it donated to a local food bank?

They likely drugged them, so probably not. I can't see them shooting guns at a rehab sanctuary, but I don't know.

[Antlershed]

No mention of what happened to the meat.  Was it donated to a local food bank?

They likely drugged them, so probably not. I can't see them shooting guns at a rehab sanctuary, but I don't know.

Yes, they were drugged first. The local bunny-huggers are losing their minds.

[fishngamereaper]

Surprised they didn't feed them to the wolves like the rest of the deer and elk in the state.

[Jake Dogfish]

What does the runners gored in a marathon have to do with the closing of this facility?  Was that Buck raised there?

[fish vacuum]

Surprised they didn't feed them to the wolves like the rest of the deer and elk in the state.

😁😆😂😃😅

[pianoman9701]

What does the runners gored in a marathon have to do with the closing of this facility?  Was that Buck raised there?

That buck was habituated to humans by the community hand-feeding him. He wouldn't have been around if people hadn't treated him like a pet.

[Bushcraft]

No mention of what happened to the meat.  Was it donated to a local food bank?

They likely drugged them, so probably not. I can't see them shooting guns at a rehab sanctuary, but I don't know.

Yes, they were drugged first. The local bunny-huggers are losing their minds.

I'm not doubting you, but how do you know that they were drugged first?

The reason I ask is that I am generally supportive of WDFW as there are some very fine folks that work there. But, as Penny and Eric know, I'm also not above holding their feet to the fire if they do dumb stuff.   But, I'll only to do so from a fact-based standpoint.

[pianoman9701]

We know at least 4 of the animals were transported to WSU. They would've had to be drugged. You could always call the contact in the article and ask. I just don't see them dispatching the remaining animals with firearms on-site at the rehab place, so they'd have to be drugged.  I see no fault with the WDFW in either scenario.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I'm actually surprised they still send deer/elk to wildlife rehab centers.  It makes sense for rare species, but at some point (common species?) we need to let nature take it's course. 

[Blacktail Sniper]

Pictures from the rehab centers facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/For-Heavens-Sake-Animal-Rescue-and-Rehabilitation-102222573174819/?fref=ts


Few comments visible on the individual pictures, but LOTS OF COMMENTS on the post for those that have facebook.

Way too many to screenshot and post or I would for those that don't.

[Jake Dogfish]

Wdfw can't enforce its own fishing rules but good thing they have time and money to waste killing Deer.
 

[Bushcraft]

I'm actually surprised they still send deer/elk to wildlife rehab centers.  It makes sense for rare species, but at some point (common species?) we need to let nature take it's course.

Agreed.

[pianoman9701]

These people are clueless as to their responsibility in the euthanizing of these animals.

[fireweed]

How does a deer fawn raised in captivity "loose" its fear of humans, or for that matter, gain a fear of humans in the first place.  The elk in Yellowstone aren't afraid of humans either, and nobody is killing them.

[Bushcraft]

How does a deer fawn raised in captivity "loose" its fear of humans, or for that matter, gain a fear of humans in the first place.  The elk in Yellowstone aren't afraid of humans either, and nobody is killing them.

I so wish there was a "Like" button on this forum.  A thumbs-up will have to suffice. 

[pianoman9701]

How does a deer fawn raised in captivity "loose" its fear of humans, or for that matter, gain a fear of humans in the first place.  The elk in Yellowstone aren't afraid of humans either, and nobody is killing them.

It's likely that most deer raised in captivity won't develop a fear of humans. That's why the regulations about these rehab places are so strict. When the elk leave Yellowstone, migrating into MT, they know to stay away from humans during hunting season. It's because they're not hand-fed in the park. The people who took these poor animals out of nature in the first place are as much to blame as the petting zoo they ended up at.

[Stein]

The rehab center screws up, WDFW has to go in and spend scarce department money cleaning up the mess and they are the bad guys?  That's the beauty of social media, shallow name calling and a complete lack of thought or analysis.

[Bushcraft]

I was told that WDFW “had arranged to donate meat to a wildlife facility (fawn btd are pretty small for a food bank), but when staff decided on-site that the most humane method to transport require tranquilizers that could no longer be done.”

Bummer deal all the way around.  From my perspective it sounds like WDFW was put smack in the middle of a no-win situation and are catching flack from all sides since the optics aren’t all that good. The anthropomorphic Disney crowd is going full fruitloop on the Dept.

[pianoman9701]

  and if you look at the facebook page for the rehab center, no one there is taking any responsibility whatsoever. I really wanted to post something but know it would be like talking to a stone wall.

[Antlershed]

No mention of what happened to the meat.  Was it donated to a local food bank?

They likely drugged them, so probably not. I can't see them shooting guns at a rehab sanctuary, but I don't know.

Yes, they were drugged first. The local bunny-huggers are losing their minds.

I'm not doubting you, but how do you know that they were drugged first?

The reason I ask is that I am generally supportive of WDFW as there are some very fine folks that work there. But, as Penny and Eric know, I'm also not above holding their feet to the fire if they do dumb stuff.   But, I'll only to do so from a fact-based standpoint.

Sorry, looks like Blacktail Sniper beat me to the post. I saw the stuff on the Animal Rescues FB page yesterday morning.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Here's the other side of the story.  I heard this lady on the local radio station here on the Harbor tonight.  She actually made a good case. She sounded like she knew what she was doing as far as the stages rehab goes through. Evidently there is going to be a meeting soon about this issue. Not sure when or where though. 

http://www.fhswildliferehab.org/uploads/4/6/8/3/4683372/fhs_official_statement_concerning_deer___elk_invasion.pdf

[wolfbait]

"OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers are evaluating the behavior of 11 young deer at a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in Thurston County, where they euthanized three fawns and an elk calf last week after finding those animals had become habituated to humans."

There's a bunch of wolves in the Methow that have become habitual to humans, I wonder will WDF&wolves feel it's time to "euthanized" them? Or will the chore be left up to the public?

[Sitka_Blacktail]

"OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers are evaluating the behavior of 11 young deer at a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in Thurston County, where they euthanized three fawns and an elk calf last week after finding those animals had become habituated to humans."

There's a bunch of wolves in the Methow that have become habitual to humans, I wonder will WDF&wolves feel it's time to "euthanized" them? Or will the chore be left up to the public?

I'm waiting for them to take out all the deer in Ocean Shores, and Port Orchard, and Gig Harbor and a few other places. Those deer are definitely habituated to humans. Theoretically, it should be impossible for them to survive according to the Department of Wildlife.

[idaho guy]

What is wrong with letting them go in the wild? They are dead now anyways are they afraid it will be too easy for some hunter? Maybe that could be a young kids first deer? At least the hunter would eat the meat. I guess I am not that smart but let them go and they will either be killed by a hunter who gives money to the state by purchasing a license, the meat will be eaten by that hunter and his family or the deer will rapidly develop a fear of humans and live to a ripe old age and produce a lot of offspring. Why is spending time and money to kill the deer and throw away the meat better than just releasing them and see what happens.  I have also been around deer that live on my property that have no fear of me working because I am there everyday but run like they have seen a ghost when someone new is around? Maybe those deer wouldn't be so tame when not around their buddy who feeds them everyday.