New York Almanack regularly reports on the rescue and relocation of wildlife across New York State. The reports below were provided by the New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs). You can read all our recent wildlife rescue stories here.
Newly Hatched Terrapins Relocated
On Sept. 19, ECO Day observed newly hatched terrapin turtles heading for the parking lot while on patrol at the Cedar Beach boat ramp in the hamlet of Mt. Sinai in Suffolk County, on Long Island.
Officer Day quickly moved the young turtles to safety at the nearby beach to avoid any parking lot mishaps.
Injured Eastern Screech Owl
On Sept. 22, ECO Day responded to a report of a small owl behaving strangely in the backyard of a residence in Lake Grove in Brookhaven, Suffolk County. Officer Day arrived at the location and discovered the Eastern screech owl on the ground.
ECO Day safely captured the owl, which then began exhibiting a behavior called thanatosis, or “playing dead.” Screech owls use this behavior as a last resort defense mechanism when they are unable to flee, and their camouflage isn’t enough to conceal them.
The owl appeared to have a bad cut on one of its legs and was transported to the Save the Animals Rescue (STAR) Foundation in Middle Island for rehabilitation.
DEC checked in with the foundation to get an update on the owl and learned that the bird made a full recovery at the facility and was released back into the wild on Oct. 15.
Westchester Black Bear Relocated
On Oct. 5, ECO Plows received a call from the Village of Pleasantville Police Department requesting assistance with a black bear in a highly populated area.
Officer Plows responded and attempted multiple techniques to encourage the bear to leave the area but was unsuccessful.
ECOs Tompkins, Walraven, Wamsley, and Lieutenant Lattimer also responded to the location with appropriate gear to transport the animal, which eventually treed itself near the Saw Mill River Parkway.
The bear exited the tree after being tranquilized by a Westchester County contractor and ran into a large swamp near the parkway, seemingly unaffected.
The ECOs, along with Westchester County and Pleasantville Police Officers, tracked the bear and surveilled it until it could safely be sedated a second time, and the tranquilizer took effect.
The responding ECOs quickly prepped the bear for transport, carried it to a transport trailer, and successfully relocated the bear to a more suitable area where it was released without incident within hours of the initial dart.
Illustrations, from above: ECOs Tompkins and Wamsley ear tag the bear in anticipation of release; the injured Eastern screech owl; and the bear safely in a transport trailer with ice to regulate its body temperature before being released back into the wild.
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