The Los Angeles County Raptor Rescue Center in San Dimas strives to repair injured raptors, or birds of prey, so that they may be released back into the wild. Their goal is to provide aid to at least 200 of these birds every year.
These owls, hawks, and falcons come in with broken wings or twisted legs. Once they are able to fly and feed themselves without human assistance, they are released back into the wilderness. If one of these birds is not repairable, they will remain in the rescue center as a program “ambassador.”
Some birds, even if fully healed, are no longer fit for the wild due to imprinting, which is when the bird attaches itself to a human. The trainers go to great lengths to make sure this does not happen.
Noemi Navar, one of the Recreation Service Leaders, says that seeing the birds in the wild again is very rewarding, and so while they are in rehabilitation, trainers keep their distance.