Los Alamos Animal Control Ofc. Tom Beyer went upside down in the bushes Sunday near Urban Park attempting to capture an injured raven. Photo by Merry McIntyre
Los Alamos Animal Control Ofc. Tom Beyer was not deterred in his quest to recue the injured bird. Photo by Merry McIntyre
Slightly worn out, Los Alamos Animal Control Ofc. Tom Beyer completed his mission – capturing the injured raven and handing it off for transport to the Wildlife Center in Espanola. Photo by Merry McIntyreStaff Report:
Los Alamos resident and animal advocate Merry McIntyre spotted an injured raven Sunday at Urban Park and called Los Alamos Animal Control for help in capturing the bird.
Animal Control Ofc. Tom Beyer arrived on the scene and went “above and beyond the call of duty” to capture the raven, McIntyre said, at one point going upside down in the hedges where the bird was hiding. Once the raven was flushed out of the bushes, Beyer chased after it with net, gloves and kennel in hand and captured it with one throw of the net.
“It was a sight to behold,” McIntyre told the Los Alamos Daily Post this morning.
Beyer placed the raven carefully inside the kennel and handed it off to McIntryre who drove it to the Wildlife Center in Espanola for emergency treatment. Rehab staff member Danielle Wantuck X-rayed the bird’s wing to determine the extent of its injuries.
Unfortunately, the injury to the raven was in its joint, which requires amputation of the wing. The prognosis is very poor for a good quality of life, McIntyre said, and sadly, the raven had to be euthanized
“Corvids, a bird of the crow family, are one of the most intelligent of all species and highly entertaining,” McIntyre said. “They perform an important function of scavenging and cleaning up the environment. Corvids and all other species are so important so please, always respect and enjoy our wonderful wildlife.“
An X-ray shows the injury to the raven’s wing was in its joint, which is not repairable. Photo by Merry McIntyre
Animal advocate Merry McIntyre of Los Alamos holding the injured raven. Courtesy photo