On Thursday April 22nd the Southwestern Raptor Club visited Shopville elementary to give a Raptor presentation. The eight club members present were Olivia Gifford, Chris Muse, Laura Wright, Jason Briones, Kasey Blair, Meagan Mcqueary, Molly Merrick, and Cheri Davis, along with their sponsors Mrs. Frances Carter. There were seven birds featured in the presentation. These include Indy a Bald Eagle, Jericho & Nakomis two Red Tail Hawks, Edgar a Raven, Typo a Great Horned Owl, Chico a Barred Owl, and Buzz a Screech Owl. The following is a brief synopsis of the information covered during the presentation.

Indy, an American Bald Eagle, was shot over Reelfoot Lake and came to the Raptor  Rehabilitation Center by way of the Memphis Zoo. as a result of his injuries his wing was amputated, however, such an operation is now illegal. He will remain at the Raptor Center until he dies. Jericho, a Red-Tailed Hawk, has a rather interesting story he was used as bait to catch a hunter who was shooting Red-trails in Lincoln County and in the process of catching the man Jericho was shot. He too had to have his wing amputated but luckily the man who shot him was heavily fined and even faced some jail time. Nakomis, a Red-Tailed Hawk, was hit by a car in Owensboro and his wing was broken and didn't heal back properly because of calcium deposits that formed on his bones. Edgar, a Raven, was found in Letcher County and is actually one of the last two Ravens in Kentucky. Their not really sure how he was injured but because he's such a "smart" bird members of the club joke that he probably ran into a tree. Edgar is actually not a raptor because he has a strait beak rather than a characteristic curved beak. Typo, a great Horned Owl, was found in Casey County caught in a barbed wire fence. Chico, a Barred owl, was found right here in Somerset. his wing tips were cut off by a chain saw, they are waiting to release him until they grow back. Buzz happens to be the only bird featured in the Presentation who will someday be released.

The Raptor club hopes that the children of Shopville Elementary enjoyed the presentation, they are always happy to offer children an education experience. Most club members would agree that being a member of a club such as this opens up opportunities that a high school student would have otherwise never been exposed to. In addition to this, they get the opportunity to share knowledge they gain through presentations such as this one.

By: Molly Merrick-Raptor Club Reporter