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A mother osprey was shot off her nest at Orange Park High School on Friday night.
The bird of prey also broke one wing when it plummeted down in a spiral about 90 feet to the ground from the nest which sits atop a light pole at the boys’ baseball field nat the high school, according to a teacher who came to the wounded raptor’s aid.
“She has at least one bullet wound and when she fell, she broke her right wing,” Jenifer DePalma said Tuesday.
A zoology teacher, DePalma carefully wrapped the osprey in a towel and cared for it overnight before taking it Saturday morning to veterinarians at Hidden Hills Animal Hospital in Jacksonville, which works with Cindy Mosling, the co-founder of the Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary (BEAKS) on Big Talbot Island.
“She was in shock and had lost a lot of blood,” Mosling said. “It’s too soon to tell if she will be able to fly again.”
Mosling said BEAKS is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot the bird. In addition, Richard Eason, who teaches math at the high school, is offering a separate $500 for an arrest, DePalma said.
“What’s most disturbing to me is that shots were fired into an active school yard,” said Mosling, noting there was a track meet going on at next field over from where the osprey was shot.
No people were reported injured. Several gunshots were heard, said DePalma,
DePalma, a former BEAKS volunteer, said the osprey was frightened but feisty. She called on her experience with BEAKS as well as her background as a zoology teacher when she helped it.
“But at one point, I got her too close to me and she turned around and opened up her beak, like, ‘OK, back it up’,” said DePalma, noting that when a bird of prey is hurt it typically “throws itself onto its back and puts its talons up in the air” to protect itself.
DePalma wrapped a towel around her talons before carefully picking her up. Once home, DePalma dropped sugar water on the osprey’s beak so she could take it, and let her rest in a dark dry place.
The shooting occurred about 7 p.m. Friday. DePalma said several gunshots were heard that appeared to come from a residential neighborhood bordering that side of the school.
Mosling said the bird is about three or four years old. She has been eating and “is amazingly strong,” which is a good sign but only time will tell, she said.
“I’m just amazed that she’s survived… Gunshot wounds are hard to recover from. I think she has a strong will to live because she has babies,” Mosling said.
DePalma said the osprey, her mate and an unknown number of chicks, are using a nest that ospreys have used at the ball field for at least 20 years.
“There are babies up there and they have their father. The male has been calling for her. Every day he calls and calls for his mate,” said DePalma, adding she is concerned the male osprey might give up and the chick or chicks might die.
Osprey are protected under state and federal law. It is illegal to harm, harass or kill the birds. The shooting was reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which had an officer investigating the incident.
Because the male osprey is carrying for the young, wildlife officials won’t intervene right now, said Karen Parker, commission spokeswoman, adding that they have consulted with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist about the situation.
“The problem would be, if you put a bucket truck up there to evaluate or count the chicks, it may startle the chicks and they could jump out and get hurt,” Parker said.
What the HEL* THEY NEED TO FIND THE IDIOT THAT SHOT INTO AN AREA WITH CHILDREN AROUND
Parker said the commission has suspended its investigation of the shooting pending new information. Right now, it doesn’t have any suspects or additional information about the shooting.
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"The time to protect a species is while it is still common"
Rosalie Edge
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Founder
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