By Susan Norlund

Last Saturday, April 14, during the snowstorm that covered the mountain, Los Pinos District Ranger Erik Van Walden called me as he was leaving for vacation to say he would be delayed in dropping off Chewy, his family’s cockatiel. I’m a pet-sitter who takes care of Chewy when the family is away. Van Walden was delayed because his family had found an injured owl on the dirt road leading to their Lebec home. It appeared to have a broken wing.

Because the family was heading out of town, I offered to follow up to find help for the owl. I thought I would contact CALM (California Living Museum, in Bakersfield) or Kern County Animal Control (KCAC) and go from there. The family accepted and brought me the beautiful, injured barn owl that they had found on the dirt road to their house in Lebec.

Little did I know that there are virtually no emergency resources in the Frazier Park region for wildlife. I started by calling KCAC and amazingly found there was no answer and no emergency number referral. I have lived in both San Bernardino County (Lake Arrowhead) and Los Angeles County, both of which have emergency animal control numbers for nights and weekends.

I called CALM and they told me not to feed her, but to bring her down there. I was unable to get there myself, because of a vehicle problem, and thought that perhaps other agencies might either be going that way and could transport, or would have an emergency number for animal control. I started calling. I called the sheriffs’ numbers in Kern and Ventura Counties, Highway Patrol, the Kern County Fire Department, Fish and Game and Fish and Wildlife. Most numbers had a recording that said to call 911 in an emergency. I wondered what would happen if an agency found an injured animal during offhours. I did not think it was appropriate to call 911 in this situation.

The fire station in Lebec was the only agency that offered help. They suggested Wind Wolves Preserve (who called back the next day with well-intentioned, but too-late suggestions). I also called Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife. They called back the next day and said they did not have anyone with the proper expertise for this situation. I also left a message for the Mountain Communities Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA).

I was running out of ideas and was desperate, so I sent an email to Amity Andrisi of Channel 29, as she seemed to care about animals. I thought she might help out with transport or ideas. Although she did not get the message in a timely manner, an associate from the station emailed me and said they had had complaints about the lack of availability of KCAC in the past and they would try to do a follow-up piece. She said she’d been told that law enforcement could contact animal control during off-hours. I can tell you that was not the case during that weekend.

Finally, like an answer to a prayer, Gita Nelson from the Mountain Communities SPCA called me with what proved to be the only viable suggestion. She suggested I call Little Bit of Wildlife (LBOW) located in Pine Mountain.

Nelson said they were good people and they could help. I called LBOW and talked to Kim Wickers, explaining the situation. She referred me to Vicki Bingaman.

I explained the situation, describing that I had been unable to find anyone who could help with the owl. It turns out the group operates under the umbrella of Tehachapi Wildlife Rehab and Education.

Vicki came to Frazier Park from Pine Mountain, in the dark and cold and snow, to pick up the little owl. She came late at night so she could transport him to the Ojai Raptor Sanctuary early in the morning. She was in touch with experts during the evening and night and did everythin ghumanly possible to care for the beautiful bird. Sadly the owl did not make it through the night.

Vicki is passionate about her role in avian recovery and rehab. She explained to me that after the little bird passed, she saved the owl’s feathers.

Vicki has preserved the feathers of the little owl and they will be put to good use. She is able to use them to save other raptors that have lost feathers due to injury or accident. She is able to attach the feathers in a special way, using cactus, so the birds may be released while partially using owl feathers temporarily to fly. As I understand it, when their own feathers come in, the temporary "borrowed feathers" are pushed out.

It remains unconscionable, and really amazing, that the wildlife in Kern County, and all the animals for that matter, are not served by municipal services of any kind during off-hours.

One partial remedy is publicity for a wonderful local group, Little Bit of Wildlife, which has dedicated itself to recovery, rehab and release of orphaned and injured wildlife. We are fortunate to have such an organization in our community. They are ready to help anyone in a situation such as that in which I found myself.

I think the little owl did not die in vain. He has raised awareness of a very serious problem and he will be helping his fellow raptors to take flight on his wings.

It was by the kindness of Erik Van Walden and his family that the little bird did not pass in the cold and snow, forgotten and alone.

Susan Norlund provides pet-sitting for small and large animals in the Mountain Communities. Erik Van Walden is District Ranger for the Mt. Pinos District of the Los Padres National Forest. Tehachapi Wildlife Rehab and Education is a 501c3 organization founded in 2006; satellite Little Bit of Wildlife, based in Pine Mountain (661- 242-2955), was formed in 2010.

This is part of the April 27, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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