Friday, June 27, 2014

Peregrine Falcon returns to skies after being shot

Madame X
Reprinted with permission of Wisconsin Humane Society

Meet Madame X, the Peregrine Falcon who was shot last February in West Allis. After months of rehabilitation for her injuries, she stunned us all by making a full recovery. The falcon was released by Wildlife Director Scott Diehl in the Horicon Marsh in mid-June.

The injured falcon was originally discovered outside a tavern at 55th & Grant in West Allis, and promptly brought to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at WHS for care. Due to the severity of her injuries, her long term prognosis was guarded. She suffered not only from internal injuries, but a broken coracoid bone, which could have prevented her from flying again.

Peregrine Falcons are native to Wisconsin, but the widespread use of the pesticide DDT decimated their population by the 1960s. A reintroduction campaign started by Peregrine Manager/Researcher and Wisconsin native Greg Septon in 1986 has made steady strides in reestablishing the Peregrine Falcon in Wisconsin. There are currently 32 nesting sites in Wisconsin, and Madame X hatched her first chicks last spring at the We Energies power plant in Wauwatosa.

When the leadership at the We Energies Foundation heard the news about the shooting, they graciously decided to make a $2,500 donation toward the falcon’s medical care and treatment. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at the Wisconsin Humane Society receives no government funding for its work in caring for 5,000 wild animals a year, and this support from We Energies Foundation is deeply appreciated. Such support is what made Madame X’s return to the skies possible!