Here's your chance to support the life-saving work of the Wildlife Center, to promote our corps of wildlife education ambassadors, and [perhaps] to honor an important "someone" or "something" in your life.

In April 2021, a visitor to Booker T. Washington Park in Charlottesville found a young fledgling Eastern Screech-Owl on the ground. The owlet was brought to the Wildlife Center. The bird was quiet and minimally responsive; our veterinarians found that the bird had high levels of toxic lead. The owl was started on the first of several rounds of chelation therapy [to "scrub" the lead from its body].

Despite this emergency intervention, it seems that the lead toxicity has had permanent neurological effects on the young owl - it can never be released back into the wild.

The owl's complete medical history is available at:

https://www.wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/current-patients/eastern-screech-owl-21-0509

Amanda Nicholson, our Vice President for Outreach and Education, has been working with this bird and evaluating it as a possible Wildlife Center education ambassador.

Amanda reports, "Excellent indications that this bird can manage life in captivity; it doesn't have issues getting around (granted it's a pretty small space), but it seems neurologically appropriate for life in captivity.

"We've made some excellent strides in training; it is 'getting it' and making some really good connections. I'm seeing good signs of the owl being more relaxed around me, willing to participate, etc.

"That being said, this is the most challenging and slow process I've ever taken part in - that seems to be typical of training an Eastern Screech-Owl. We still have months until I'd consider this bird 'trained'."

Our expectation is that this EASO will continue to make progress and that s/he will be ready to join the Center's corps of education ambassadors sometime during 2022. [The Center will do a DNA gender test at the owl's next blood-draw.] But, in working with a wild animal, there are no guarantees. If, for whatever reason, we determine that this owl will not be able to be considered as an Ambassador - and will not be given a name - we will refund your 2021 Gala naming-rights purchase.

The winning bidder will get to name this Eastern Screech-Owl as it begins a career as an ambassador for wild things and wild places. Through this bird, the winning bidder will help further the Center's mission of "teaching the world to care about, and to care for, wildlife and the environment."

Name subject to approval by the Wildlife Center.