This brought us to one of the most impressive creatures the center is caring for. "Thunder is our juvenile bald eagle. Shot with a pellet, and lost an eye", Karen explained with almost a sad tone in her voice. David who had now joined us, demonstrated the power and grace of this magnificent bird and he brought him forth on a gloved hand. We continued on to meet the resident cat, Geronimo, a docile, almost friendly bob cat that had been mistakenly brought into the state by a couple that had no permits which made it illegal. The cat was given to the center to attempt to re-introduce it to the wilds but old Geronimo just couldn't be made wild, and so, like his name sake, Geronimo is destined to spend the remainder of his life behind bars. This thought brought the only angry words spoken by David, as he exclaimed, "People don't think. They get these animals when they're small and cute and then they grow up and become dangerous. No one can legally raise a native wild animal in this country without the proper State and Federal permits." With that he settled back into his easy going way as we sauntered over to one of the deer pens. The two Florida whitetail does were about 8 months old. "Victims of the Banbi syndrome", David commented. "Raised by humans, and now too friendly to turn loose." Beyond the deer was a large bird cage which Karen open enough for me to slip in. The two gorgeous bald eagles sat on a branch watching me. Eve and Osseola, both missing a wing were magnificent in their regal stance, watching without seeming to be looking as I moved from side to side looking for that perfect angle. Karen talked about the difficulty they were having with mating and that a new OB/GYN doctor in the area who has a background in zoology had offered his assistance and perhaps there may be eaglets next year. Somewhere along the way we stopped by the villains of the center, a black vulture and a turkey vulture, which David pointed out are now protected by law, as it has been determined that they indeed supply a service to the land in the form of flying garbage trucks. I asked David and Karen if they had any training for their unusual avocation but they said they had not. They just started out trying different forms of treatment. Oft times they would end up having to take the animal to a local veterinarian, who in the beginning looked on them as "do-gooders" who would tire of this "rescue business." Well, after 15 years the local veterinarians have not only learned to take the Wrede's seriously but have become allies with them in their endeavors. We learned from Karen that they have no funding from any kind of governmental agency although they are called on by them to rescue animals on a regular basis. As of our interview they were hoping to get some kind of grants or large donations to help them keep up the work that has become their way of life. If you would be interested in helping them out with donations or time, or would just be interested in stopping by, contact them at: 863-385-2270.
As we prepared to leave, poor old Tom Turkey had to be held to keep him from jumping in the truck with us. Talk about love at first sight. I can only pass along the feeling that Laura and I left with: the effect that Man has had on the animals of this planet and the idea that there are some of us trying to undo the damage done and help restore the balance of nature once more.

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