The Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) not only rehabilitates raptors but sometimes gives them a forever home. Director of Operations of MRCC Jordan Spyke says many of the injuries he sees with the raptors are not caused naturally.
“I would say probably 95% of the Raptor injuries we see are human-related,” says Spyke.
Spyke says that many of the injuries include gunshot wounds, electrocution, lead poisoning, and fishing lines. This particular raptor conservation center covers 80,000 square miles. Other centers are located in Helena, Missoula, and Kalispell. This Bozeman location in particular brings in many rescues every year.
“We get a lot of calls about injured raptors, and we bring in over 200 injured raptors in year,” says Spyke.
Jordan Spyke encourages people to leave the rescuing of these raptors to the professionals.
“I do not encourage people to try to save a raptor on their own. It is illegal," says Spyke, "You have to have special state and federal permits for this. You can also get yourself severely injured.”
He assures that if you call with an injured raptor, MRCC will send help as soon as they can.
“We help every raptor we get a call on might take us a second because of our geographical location but we have volunteers all over the state,” says Spyke.
MRCC is also being featured in a documentary to bring awareness to the dangers of lead poisoning to raptors around Montana. The documentary emphasizes the dangers of lead bullets in raptors and what MRCC does to help them. You can watch it here.
