VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 179
AIR DATE: 06 18 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Protecting Birds
((SOT))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
The duck doesn’t see urban and rural. The duck sees habitat
and here in D.C., we have a lot of it.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Dolphins
((SOT))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
If we are conserving the dolphins that means we’re
conserving their habitat which means we are conserving all
the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
and Sea Turtles
((SOT))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
We rescue an average of a 100 sea turtles a year. We see
boat strikes, a lot of fishing gear entanglement. You can
really see the impact we, as humans, are having on our
oceans.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) URBAN WILDLIFE
((TRT: 07:30))
((Topic Banner: Urban Wildlife))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 3 Female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Text on screen:
The non-profit City Wildlife runs several programs to protect
wildlife in Washington DC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
I got interested in wildlife because I grew up in a household
full of animals.
((Text on screen:
LIGHTS OUT DC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
My father was a veterinarian. We did a lot of birding as a
family and camping.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
What Lights Out DC does, we are looking for birds that have
collided with windows. The birds that we find are typically
neo-tropical migrants.
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
They winter over in the Caribbean, Central America and
South America. And then, in the spring, they are flying North
to there where they breed. The birds are migrating at night.
The light is distracting to them. It draws them into the glass.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
So, this is a building that we were finding a significant
number of birds colliding with the glass. And we talked to the
building managers and they agreed to dim certain lights. And
we noticed last fall, we didn’t monitor for the whole year last
year because the pandemic, but in the fall, there was a
significant reduction at this building because they had turned
off the lights, we found less birds.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
When we find a dead bird, we want to be sure to document
what we can about it.
You can see it is bleeding from its beak.
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Obviously the date, the time in the morning we found it,
something about the location, particularly of the bird.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
It’s the state bird of D.C.
Because usually it’s a particular piece of glass or part of the
building that is problematic to birds.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Okay, can I grab your…
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
And then we record all this information to use for advocacy
purposes.
So, if it is injured, if it is stunned, if it’s hit the glass, then we
transport the bird to City Wildlife where there is a
veterinarian who examines the bird.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Since 1970, we have lost a huge number of birds in North
and South America. So, we are really trying to sort of work
with people to change patterns of building, to have them turn
off their lights at night, to treat the windows. There’s ways
that you can mitigate. You can make glass visible to birds.
So, there is a whole range of things that we can do to solve
this problem.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text on screen:
CITY WILDLIFE))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
I’ve always been interested in helping animals since I was
very young.
((NATS))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
Yeah, it’s bad. I’m sorry little buddy.
Being a wildlife veterinarian in particular allows me to help
conservation efforts and preserving natural wildlife that we
have here in the District.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
We currently have 96 patients. Fortunately, most of our
problems that we see are directly human-related. We do see
a lot of trauma cases, hit by cars, birds that have flown into
windows, attacks by domestic animals, cats, dogs.
You can see around the edges of her shell right here where
it’s really irregular. Those are dog bite injuries.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
We also do see toxicities, lead. The pigeon that we are
treating for lead toxicity, the pigeon came in not able to walk,
definitely not able to fly. Took some x-rays, didn’t see any
evidence of broken bones or any other injuries.
So, we took some blood, did a test for lead and came back
extremely toxic dose. Treated for chelation therapy. The bird
can now walk, still a little bit wobbly, and can fly, which is an
incredible improvement over when he first came in.
I think restricting access to pesticides is a big step that we
need to start taking. Less of these toxic products in the
environment would be a good next step.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Text on screen:
DUCK WATCH))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
I’ve always been interested in ducks. My mother would take
me to a lagoon to visit ducks and geese and swans when I
was little. Duck Watch is one of City Wildlife’s community
programs. And our main purpose is to facilitate our urban
waterfowl’s natural behavior.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
For instance, we escort mama ducks and their ducklings
from their urban nesting sites to water. The duck doesn’t see
urban and rural. The duck sees habitat and here in D.C., we
have a lot of it. We have landscaping. We have lots of
planting around the city.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
When we see a nest or somebody alerts us of a nest, we
first assign a volunteer to just take a look. When it gets close
to hatching time, they can be around to provide an escort,
which just means walking behind or to the side of the ducks,
stopping traffic, maybe helping the ducks get up curb.
We want to build a community of people who know how to
appropriately interact or not interact with the wildlife.
((NATS))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
She is brooding her ducklings. They have been swimming
and she probably brought them up that ramp right there and
now she wants to get them dry and warm. She also has a
brood patch from when she was nesting. And so, she can
generate quite a bit of heat and make like a little warm-up
space for them.
((NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
Ducks are very charismatic animals and people think they
are cute. They like to watch them. They like to take their
children to watch them. And we think that by providing a little
more education about what the ducks are doing, people will
enjoy their bird watching experience more. And I think it will
also translate to the way they look at other wildlife and the
way they see the, you know, abundant wildlife that actually
share the city with us.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((PKG)) BIRD SANCTUARY
((Previously aired December 2020))
((TRT: 04:52))
((Banner: Bird Sanctuary))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Tavernier, Florida))
((Main character: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I grew up in Dalton, Massachusetts.
Once I graduated and I had my degree, you know, you really
just try to get settled in somewhere with working with the
species that you want to work with.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I really love working with water birds, birds like pelicans for
instance. I knew of this place and have known of this place
for quite a few years. Thankfully, this position had opened
up. Now I just work with birds all the time.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
The birds that we see down here in the Keys are fish-eating
birds, marsh birds a lot of the time. We take in injured,
orphaned wildlife and we rehabilitate them until they are to
the point where they can be released and then we do that at
that point in time.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
So, I don’t know what I am going to need. I guess I am going
to get a bunch of stuff.
So, we are a non-profit organization. We are split into two
different facilities. The hospital location is where we take in
injured, orphaned wildlife. They really don’t have anyone on
their side but us. My, I guess, purpose in being here is to
really try to be the best advocate I can be for the birds that
come through.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We received a double-crested cormorant a few days ago.
He was admitted and was very thin. He was not standing
very well, very lethargic. One of the possibilities that we
wanted to rule out was the case of an internal hook.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We are putting him under anesthesia so we can get an X-ray
and so that he is not flailing around while we’re trying to get
the X-rays.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
There are quite a few cases we see per year that are hooked
birds, ingested hooks. Ripped pouches for pelicans we see a
lot with fish carcasses. So, that is a human impact there.
And we did, in fact, rule that out. He did not have an internal
hook. So, now we have to focus on getting a fecal on him, so
we can test for internal parasites because I am almost 100
percent positive he has some sort of internal parasites and
that’s what is causing him to lose weight as so fast as he is.
((NATS))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I predict we will probably see 1200, 12-1300 birds this year.
The Eastern Screech-Owl, he was admitted last week.
((NATS))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
Ferocious. He is an adult. He was very weird. He was
actually leaning up against a tree when someone found him.
So, they were able to pick him right up, put him in a box. We
were able to pick him up.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We actually haven’t found specifically what was wrong with
him. So, we’ve basically been giving him some supportive
care. Fluid therapy. We’re force-feeding him every day and
monitor for signs of improvement.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
The second facility we have is the sanctuary. So, these are
permitted birds that basically went through the rehabilitation
process and were deemed non-releasable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
Our visitors play a huge role in our organization. We are a
non-profit and so we run entirely on donations and grant
money. If the birds start to dwindle down, it will really start to
affect the ecosystem, all the plant life. Any species you look
at is going to be super important for any ecosystem they’re
in.
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Understandable Dolphins
((SOT))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Information is great but that information is only useful when
people care enough to actually go out and do something.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER
((Previously aired January 2020))
((Banner: Swimming and Smiling))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Grassy Key, Florida))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Dolphins are what we call charismatic megafauna, which
means that people view them as charismatic. People get
excited about some animals more than they get excited
about others.
((NATS/MUSIC))
One, two, three, big circle. Go, watch out there.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
But that’s okay, because then we can use that to get them to
conserve in general. So, if they are conserving the dolphins
that means we’re conserving their habitat which means we
are conserving all the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Hi, guys.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
My name is Dr. Kelly Jaakkola. I am a cognitive researcher,
right now work with dolphins.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
You want to do a high five? No? This one? You can’t really
reach. I know it is hard to reach up here.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
For other people, they might get inspired by the dolphin’s
beauty or their athleticism etcetera.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
I know. Very nice. I know. Oh, you want to come play too?
What do you think?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
For me, it was watching them think.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Wow, now it’s your turn? Now it’s your turn?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Center is a non-profit education and research facility in the
Florida Keys. And there are a number of questions that you
can’t answer in the wild. You’ll see situations where they
seem to be cooperating. They seem to be doing the same
thing at the same time. But you can’t tell from just looking at
that whether or not they’re understanding cooperation or if
they’re just doing something at the same time.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
In this study, we set up a game. And the game was, we had
two buttons and to win the game, the dolphins had to press
the buttons at the same time within a one second window
which is really, really close. So, in order to show that they
understand cooperation, you have to sometimes send them
at different times.
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
And, one, two, three, go.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Okay, so, Reese was sent first. And you see he doesn’t go
immediately to his button. And now Delta is sent and we’ll
see, and they did it!
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
Very nice.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
By the end of this study, they were pressing an average of a
third of a second apart which is really tight coordination. The
most obvious next step is okay, well how are they doing it?
Are the dolphins using some sort of verbal communication?
Maybe they are using synchrony, so maybe they sync up
with each other and swim together etcetera.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Other questions we can look at are: are there ways that that
cooperation in the wild might be disrupted? So, for example,
if they are using a kind of vocal communication, then noise
pollution might get in the way of that.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Alright, are you guys ready?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Any sort of facility has to have a way of supporting their
animals. And for us, that largely comes from the visitors that
walk through the door. One of the big roles that marine
mammal facilities play is getting people to make a
connection in order to get people to conserve and then care.
And it’s that moment of connection that’s the start of
conservation mindedness. You know, it’s fine to give people
information. Information is great. But that information is only
useful if people care enough to actually go out and do
something.
((NATS: Trainer))
You guys wanna kiss for the camera? Are you ready? Can
you do a kiss for the camera?
((NATS: Dolphins screech))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Sea Turtles
((SOT))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Six out of ten of our rescue calls now come from people that
have been to our hospital and learned what a sick sea turtle
looks like.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) TURTLE HOSPITAL
((Previously aired November 2020))
((Banner: Saving Sea Turtles))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Marathon, Florida))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Sea turtles are the oldest animal known to man. They have
been on our planet for over a 100 million years. They are an
indicator species, a good example of what’s happening to
our marine ecosystems.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Every species of sea turtles in the United States Is listed as
either endangered or threatened. And we want to make sure
that this species does not go extinct on our watch.
((NATS))
Okay, you are so beautiful. Look at you, goodness.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
The Turtle Hospital is located in the heart of the Florida
Keys. It has been rescuing, rehabilitating and returning
turtles to the wild for over 30 years. Not only do we fix sick
and injured sea turtles, but probably the much bigger take in
that is our education and just the value of that education. We
reach out with social media and other types of media on a
global level. Visitors also play a very important role. That
admission fee, that is where we get our budget for our turtle
care.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Kiki, a juvenile green sea turtle, had surgery with Dr. Terry
Norton today. He is from Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Sea
Turtle Hospital. He is the director there, but he is also our
lead veterinarian. So, we actually fly him in to do sea turtle
surgeries. Fibropapillomatosis is a virus that causes these
horrific tumors. This afflicts over 50 percent of the green sea
turtle population in and around the Florida Keys. This
disease is only found around developed land. There is a
scientific study that was published out of the University of
Hawaii in 2014 that correlated the runoff from pineapple
plantations to the increase of this disease in green sea
turtles. The sea turtle goes under general anesthesia. The
tumors are removed with a CO2 laser.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Kiki’s recovery will probably be a few months. Once a sea
turtle is tumor free, we keep them at the Turtle Hospital for
six to 12 months just to make sure they don’t regrow those
tumors. We want to make sure they are good and healthy.
Get their blood values built back up before we return them to
their ocean home.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
We rescue an average of 100 sea turtles a year.
Unfortunately, most of them are human impact injuries. Not
only do we see boat strikes but we see a lot of fishing gear
entanglement, trap lines, abandoned anchored lines. You
can really see the impact we, as humans, are having on our
oceans.
Chuck is a sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle. He lost that front
right flipper due to a fishing line entanglement. Amputating a
flipper on a sea turtle, it’s a major surgery. It requires a lot of
follow-up care, extensive wound care.
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
I think some of the treatments that alleviate pain or pressure,
they do calm down for during treatment but for the most part,
as they get healthier, they get stronger and they fight more,
which is actually really a good sign for a wild animal.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Chuck is on the mend and a candidate for release. Believe it
or not, a sea turtle with three healthy flippers is a candidate
to be returned to the wild. So, we have our flippers crossed
for Chuck.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Six out of ten of our rescue calls now come from people that
have been to our hospital and learned what a sick sea turtle
looks like. It’s one thing to tell somebody not to leave your
fishing gear out there but it’s another thing to see this big
majestic dinosaur, a sea turtle, lose their front flipper to that
entanglement and that’s really impactful. So, I feel like that
education is invaluable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
SHOW ENDS
EPISODE # 179
AIR DATE: 06 18 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Protecting Birds
((SOT))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
The duck doesn’t see urban and rural. The duck sees habitat
and here in D.C., we have a lot of it.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Dolphins
((SOT))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
If we are conserving the dolphins that means we’re
conserving their habitat which means we are conserving all
the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
and Sea Turtles
((SOT))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
We rescue an average of a 100 sea turtles a year. We see
boat strikes, a lot of fishing gear entanglement. You can
really see the impact we, as humans, are having on our
oceans.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) URBAN WILDLIFE
((TRT: 07:30))
((Topic Banner: Urban Wildlife))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 3 Female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Text on screen:
The non-profit City Wildlife runs several programs to protect
wildlife in Washington DC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
I got interested in wildlife because I grew up in a household
full of animals.
((Text on screen:
LIGHTS OUT DC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
My father was a veterinarian. We did a lot of birding as a
family and camping.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
What Lights Out DC does, we are looking for birds that have
collided with windows. The birds that we find are typically
neo-tropical migrants.
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
They winter over in the Caribbean, Central America and
South America. And then, in the spring, they are flying North
to there where they breed. The birds are migrating at night.
The light is distracting to them. It draws them into the glass.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
So, this is a building that we were finding a significant
number of birds colliding with the glass. And we talked to the
building managers and they agreed to dim certain lights. And
we noticed last fall, we didn’t monitor for the whole year last
year because the pandemic, but in the fall, there was a
significant reduction at this building because they had turned
off the lights, we found less birds.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
When we find a dead bird, we want to be sure to document
what we can about it.
You can see it is bleeding from its beak.
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Obviously the date, the time in the morning we found it,
something about the location, particularly of the bird.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
It’s the state bird of D.C.
Because usually it’s a particular piece of glass or part of the
building that is problematic to birds.
((NATS))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Okay, can I grab your…
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
And then we record all this information to use for advocacy
purposes.
So, if it is injured, if it is stunned, if it’s hit the glass, then we
transport the bird to City Wildlife where there is a
veterinarian who examines the bird.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Lisbeth Fuisz, Lights Out DC, City Wildlife))
Since 1970, we have lost a huge number of birds in North
and South America. So, we are really trying to sort of work
with people to change patterns of building, to have them turn
off their lights at night, to treat the windows. There’s ways
that you can mitigate. You can make glass visible to birds.
So, there is a whole range of things that we can do to solve
this problem.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text on screen:
CITY WILDLIFE))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
I’ve always been interested in helping animals since I was
very young.
((NATS))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
Yeah, it’s bad. I’m sorry little buddy.
Being a wildlife veterinarian in particular allows me to help
conservation efforts and preserving natural wildlife that we
have here in the District.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
We currently have 96 patients. Fortunately, most of our
problems that we see are directly human-related. We do see
a lot of trauma cases, hit by cars, birds that have flown into
windows, attacks by domestic animals, cats, dogs.
You can see around the edges of her shell right here where
it’s really irregular. Those are dog bite injuries.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
We also do see toxicities, lead. The pigeon that we are
treating for lead toxicity, the pigeon came in not able to walk,
definitely not able to fly. Took some x-rays, didn’t see any
evidence of broken bones or any other injuries.
So, we took some blood, did a test for lead and came back
extremely toxic dose. Treated for chelation therapy. The bird
can now walk, still a little bit wobbly, and can fly, which is an
incredible improvement over when he first came in.
I think restricting access to pesticides is a big step that we
need to start taking. Less of these toxic products in the
environment would be a good next step.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Text on screen:
DUCK WATCH))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
I’ve always been interested in ducks. My mother would take
me to a lagoon to visit ducks and geese and swans when I
was little. Duck Watch is one of City Wildlife’s community
programs. And our main purpose is to facilitate our urban
waterfowl’s natural behavior.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
For instance, we escort mama ducks and their ducklings
from their urban nesting sites to water. The duck doesn’t see
urban and rural. The duck sees habitat and here in D.C., we
have a lot of it. We have landscaping. We have lots of
planting around the city.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
When we see a nest or somebody alerts us of a nest, we
first assign a volunteer to just take a look. When it gets close
to hatching time, they can be around to provide an escort,
which just means walking behind or to the side of the ducks,
stopping traffic, maybe helping the ducks get up curb.
We want to build a community of people who know how to
appropriately interact or not interact with the wildlife.
((NATS))
((Cheryl Chooljian, Clinic Director, City Wildlife))
She is brooding her ducklings. They have been swimming
and she probably brought them up that ramp right there and
now she wants to get them dry and warm. She also has a
brood patch from when she was nesting. And so, she can
generate quite a bit of heat and make like a little warm-up
space for them.
((NATS))
((April Linton, Duck Watch, City Wildlife))
Ducks are very charismatic animals and people think they
are cute. They like to watch them. They like to take their
children to watch them. And we think that by providing a little
more education about what the ducks are doing, people will
enjoy their bird watching experience more. And I think it will
also translate to the way they look at other wildlife and the
way they see the, you know, abundant wildlife that actually
share the city with us.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((PKG)) BIRD SANCTUARY
((Previously aired December 2020))
((TRT: 04:52))
((Banner: Bird Sanctuary))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Tavernier, Florida))
((Main character: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I grew up in Dalton, Massachusetts.
Once I graduated and I had my degree, you know, you really
just try to get settled in somewhere with working with the
species that you want to work with.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I really love working with water birds, birds like pelicans for
instance. I knew of this place and have known of this place
for quite a few years. Thankfully, this position had opened
up. Now I just work with birds all the time.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
The birds that we see down here in the Keys are fish-eating
birds, marsh birds a lot of the time. We take in injured,
orphaned wildlife and we rehabilitate them until they are to
the point where they can be released and then we do that at
that point in time.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
So, I don’t know what I am going to need. I guess I am going
to get a bunch of stuff.
So, we are a non-profit organization. We are split into two
different facilities. The hospital location is where we take in
injured, orphaned wildlife. They really don’t have anyone on
their side but us. My, I guess, purpose in being here is to
really try to be the best advocate I can be for the birds that
come through.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We received a double-crested cormorant a few days ago.
He was admitted and was very thin. He was not standing
very well, very lethargic. One of the possibilities that we
wanted to rule out was the case of an internal hook.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We are putting him under anesthesia so we can get an X-ray
and so that he is not flailing around while we’re trying to get
the X-rays.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
There are quite a few cases we see per year that are hooked
birds, ingested hooks. Ripped pouches for pelicans we see a
lot with fish carcasses. So, that is a human impact there.
And we did, in fact, rule that out. He did not have an internal
hook. So, now we have to focus on getting a fecal on him, so
we can test for internal parasites because I am almost 100
percent positive he has some sort of internal parasites and
that’s what is causing him to lose weight as so fast as he is.
((NATS))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
I predict we will probably see 1200, 12-1300 birds this year.
The Eastern Screech-Owl, he was admitted last week.
((NATS))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
Ferocious. He is an adult. He was very weird. He was
actually leaning up against a tree when someone found him.
So, they were able to pick him right up, put him in a box. We
were able to pick him up.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
We actually haven’t found specifically what was wrong with
him. So, we’ve basically been giving him some supportive
care. Fluid therapy. We’re force-feeding him every day and
monitor for signs of improvement.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
The second facility we have is the sanctuary. So, these are
permitted birds that basically went through the rehabilitation
process and were deemed non-releasable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bayleigh Machaffie, Manager, Florida Keys Wild Bird
Center))
Our visitors play a huge role in our organization. We are a
non-profit and so we run entirely on donations and grant
money. If the birds start to dwindle down, it will really start to
affect the ecosystem, all the plant life. Any species you look
at is going to be super important for any ecosystem they’re
in.
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Understandable Dolphins
((SOT))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Information is great but that information is only useful when
people care enough to actually go out and do something.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER
((Previously aired January 2020))
((Banner: Swimming and Smiling))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Grassy Key, Florida))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Dolphins are what we call charismatic megafauna, which
means that people view them as charismatic. People get
excited about some animals more than they get excited
about others.
((NATS/MUSIC))
One, two, three, big circle. Go, watch out there.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
But that’s okay, because then we can use that to get them to
conserve in general. So, if they are conserving the dolphins
that means we’re conserving their habitat which means we
are conserving all the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Hi, guys.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
My name is Dr. Kelly Jaakkola. I am a cognitive researcher,
right now work with dolphins.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
You want to do a high five? No? This one? You can’t really
reach. I know it is hard to reach up here.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
For other people, they might get inspired by the dolphin’s
beauty or their athleticism etcetera.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
I know. Very nice. I know. Oh, you want to come play too?
What do you think?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
For me, it was watching them think.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Wow, now it’s your turn? Now it’s your turn?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Center is a non-profit education and research facility in the
Florida Keys. And there are a number of questions that you
can’t answer in the wild. You’ll see situations where they
seem to be cooperating. They seem to be doing the same
thing at the same time. But you can’t tell from just looking at
that whether or not they’re understanding cooperation or if
they’re just doing something at the same time.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
In this study, we set up a game. And the game was, we had
two buttons and to win the game, the dolphins had to press
the buttons at the same time within a one second window
which is really, really close. So, in order to show that they
understand cooperation, you have to sometimes send them
at different times.
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
And, one, two, three, go.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Okay, so, Reese was sent first. And you see he doesn’t go
immediately to his button. And now Delta is sent and we’ll
see, and they did it!
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
Very nice.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
By the end of this study, they were pressing an average of a
third of a second apart which is really tight coordination. The
most obvious next step is okay, well how are they doing it?
Are the dolphins using some sort of verbal communication?
Maybe they are using synchrony, so maybe they sync up
with each other and swim together etcetera.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Other questions we can look at are: are there ways that that
cooperation in the wild might be disrupted? So, for example,
if they are using a kind of vocal communication, then noise
pollution might get in the way of that.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Alright, are you guys ready?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Research Director, Dolphin
Research Center))
Any sort of facility has to have a way of supporting their
animals. And for us, that largely comes from the visitors that
walk through the door. One of the big roles that marine
mammal facilities play is getting people to make a
connection in order to get people to conserve and then care.
And it’s that moment of connection that’s the start of
conservation mindedness. You know, it’s fine to give people
information. Information is great. But that information is only
useful if people care enough to actually go out and do
something.
((NATS: Trainer))
You guys wanna kiss for the camera? Are you ready? Can
you do a kiss for the camera?
((NATS: Dolphins screech))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Sea Turtles
((SOT))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Six out of ten of our rescue calls now come from people that
have been to our hospital and learned what a sick sea turtle
looks like.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) TURTLE HOSPITAL
((Previously aired November 2020))
((Banner: Saving Sea Turtles))
((Reporter/Camera: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Marathon, Florida))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Sea turtles are the oldest animal known to man. They have
been on our planet for over a 100 million years. They are an
indicator species, a good example of what’s happening to
our marine ecosystems.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Every species of sea turtles in the United States Is listed as
either endangered or threatened. And we want to make sure
that this species does not go extinct on our watch.
((NATS))
Okay, you are so beautiful. Look at you, goodness.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
The Turtle Hospital is located in the heart of the Florida
Keys. It has been rescuing, rehabilitating and returning
turtles to the wild for over 30 years. Not only do we fix sick
and injured sea turtles, but probably the much bigger take in
that is our education and just the value of that education. We
reach out with social media and other types of media on a
global level. Visitors also play a very important role. That
admission fee, that is where we get our budget for our turtle
care.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Kiki, a juvenile green sea turtle, had surgery with Dr. Terry
Norton today. He is from Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Sea
Turtle Hospital. He is the director there, but he is also our
lead veterinarian. So, we actually fly him in to do sea turtle
surgeries. Fibropapillomatosis is a virus that causes these
horrific tumors. This afflicts over 50 percent of the green sea
turtle population in and around the Florida Keys. This
disease is only found around developed land. There is a
scientific study that was published out of the University of
Hawaii in 2014 that correlated the runoff from pineapple
plantations to the increase of this disease in green sea
turtles. The sea turtle goes under general anesthesia. The
tumors are removed with a CO2 laser.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Kiki’s recovery will probably be a few months. Once a sea
turtle is tumor free, we keep them at the Turtle Hospital for
six to 12 months just to make sure they don’t regrow those
tumors. We want to make sure they are good and healthy.
Get their blood values built back up before we return them to
their ocean home.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
We rescue an average of 100 sea turtles a year.
Unfortunately, most of them are human impact injuries. Not
only do we see boat strikes but we see a lot of fishing gear
entanglement, trap lines, abandoned anchored lines. You
can really see the impact we, as humans, are having on our
oceans.
Chuck is a sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle. He lost that front
right flipper due to a fishing line entanglement. Amputating a
flipper on a sea turtle, it’s a major surgery. It requires a lot of
follow-up care, extensive wound care.
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
I think some of the treatments that alleviate pain or pressure,
they do calm down for during treatment but for the most part,
as they get healthier, they get stronger and they fight more,
which is actually really a good sign for a wild animal.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Chuck is on the mend and a candidate for release. Believe it
or not, a sea turtle with three healthy flippers is a candidate
to be returned to the wild. So, we have our flippers crossed
for Chuck.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bette Zirkelbach, Manager, The Turtle Hospital))
Six out of ten of our rescue calls now come from people that
have been to our hospital and learned what a sick sea turtle
looks like. It’s one thing to tell somebody not to leave your
fishing gear out there but it’s another thing to see this big
majestic dinosaur, a sea turtle, lose their front flipper to that
entanglement and that’s really impactful. So, I feel like that
education is invaluable.
((NATS/MUSIC))
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
SHOW ENDS