A young raven that hatched this year was found beside the highway near the recycle depot in Tla’amin, unable to walk or fly. Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Rescue Society (PROWLS) was called and Merrilee and Brooklyn went right out. They quickly threw a towel over her, scooping her up and placing her in a kennel.
Dr. Barnes at Westview Veterinary Hospital saw her right away and diagnosed a soft-tissue spinal injury.
Back at PROWLS, she was placed in a small kennel to prevent unnecessary movement. She was named Tipsy, as she truly couldn’t stand up, regardless of her determined efforts to try.
Tipsy began to consume lots of fish and threw her water dish around for entertainment. Soon she was moved into a bigger kennel with the water dish firmly attached to the door and an empty one to throw, with an outside view to provide her entertainment from passersby.
After two more weeks, she was moved into a small outdoor shed where she was able to shuffle, hop and drum enthusiastically, even though occasionally alarmed as the local bear nosed around the shed’s boundaries. When moved into a backyard flight cage with a dirt floor and greater visibility, she continued to improve, but was still a bit tipsy at times.
She has now moved into the spacious Cranberry flight cage, where she races around with two other ravens her age, all three gaining strength and agility while they play and compete. Against all odds, she will soon be soaring free again.
