LSU Vet Med releasing Crested Caracara in Lake Charles on July 27
July 26, 2023
On July 27 at 11:30 a.m., the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is releasing a Crested Caracara near the lake in Lake Charles, La. The plan is to park at 11:30 a.m. at 3395 Manchester Road in Lake Charles, which is approximately one mile from where the bird was found.
Veterinary student and Raptor Rehab Team member Patrik Rollefson with caracara.
Ozzi is a presumed female Crested Caracara. She was found injured in a parking in the Lake Charles area in late December 2022. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was able to catch her and brought her to LSU Vet Med’s Wildlife Hospital on December 22, 2022, for further diagnostics and care. She was found to have a comminuted fracture of the right distal radius that was deemed non-surgical due to the close proximity to the joint. She was placed on cage rest and given pain medications and integrative medicine therapies while the bone calloused on its own.
The LSU Raptor Rehab Team then took over her care as we were unsure if she would be able to fly again and she was trained to be one of LSU Vet Med’s resident educational raptors. After several months in their care, Ozzi decided she wanted to fly again and has been making great strides with her flight training and exercise.
This species of raptor is not normally found in Louisiana. They are normally found in South and Central America with extension into Mexico and sometimes Texas. It is unusual to see one this far north. We are releasing Ozzi back where we found her so that she can hopefully return to where she calls home.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital cares for injured animals brought to us for medical care and treatment. Our goal is to treat and rehabilitate these animals so that they can be released back into the wild. We receive approximately 1,200 wildlife cases each year with an approximate release rate of 73 percent for treatable cases. Our mission is to carry out conservation medicine by providing veterinary care for injured wildlife, conduct conservation research, and educate the public about wildlife conservation in the state of Louisiana.
In some cases, the LSU Vet Med wildlife team can repair or heal the underlying health issue, but the raptor is not able to be released because it would not be able to survive on its own (e.g., it cannot fly or see properly so would be unable to hunt). These raptors sometimes then become part of the LSU Vet Med family as resident educational raptors. The veterinary students on our LSU Raptor Rehab Team work with and care for these birds and help educate the public about the importance of wildlife conservation by giving presentations about and with them at schools and libraries. To request a presentation, please contact vetmed@lsu.edu.
About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.