Did you know that World Animal Day is celebrated annually on October 4th? I didn’t either! This day, also known as World Animal Protection Day, began in Germany in 1925 and celebrates animal rights and welfare worldwide.
“World Animal Day is celebrated yearly on October 4th to align with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology and animals.” SOURCE
Just the other day, a news station in Kennewick, Washington, reported that 23 abandoned dogs were found inside a house. Sadly, 15 were dead, and the others were dehydrated and weak. Who does this?
Not only are domesticated animals, like dogs and cats, at risk, but wild animals as well. I grieve a little each time I see a lifeless deer lying on the side of our rural highway, likely a victim of a car driving too fast.
This week, I’m sharing galleries of various animals and birds, both wild and domesticated.
Our Sweet Pets
“Animals are a gift from above for they truly define the words unconditional love.”
― Heather Wolf
Today marks three years since my little Aero passed away from lung cancer. As you can see above, Brodie still keeps us and himself busy!
Let’s Get Wild
Let’s start with the big wild ones we see in Eastern Washington, namely Elk, Moose, and Mule Deer. These are wild, but they have little fear of strolling onto our rural properties.
Other wild animals I’ve captured with my lens include bison, black bear, coyote, and sea lions.
Sharing these for Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.
The Thrill of Seeing Bald Eagles
We live an hour’s drive from Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene, where bald eagles congregate each winter to fish/hunt for Kokanee salmon during spawning season. I’ve been fortunate to see a few at a time fairly close, but I’m still waiting for the big flock of eagles to land.
Remembering An Eagle’s Journey
To help celebrate World Animal Day, I am sharing the story of Journey the Bald Eagle, previously featured in two posts in 2021. Below is my own photo…
In June 2021, not long after we moved to Eastern WA, I was captivated by Facebook posts that featured a local Bald Eagle’s nest built in a neighbor’s backyard on Lake Spokane. Diana G had a front row seat to the nest and watched the eagles’ activities, sharing her fabulous photos daily on another group page.
When I saw the image of the Bald Eagles above, I was hooked! Bald Eagles begin to build their nests in Autumn as they prepare for hatching in early Spring.
(Diana graciously gave me permission to use some of her amazing photos to share more about the Bluebell Court Eagles and their “Journey!”)
Because Diana’s images of eagles gained popularity due to a series of newspaper articles and local newscasts, she created a Facebook group called Bluebell Court Eagles. The eaglet was dubbed “Journey” by Diana. We stalked Facebook daily for updates on Journey’s life in the nest.
Journey grew as expected after hatching in April 2021. By late June, the temperature was as much as 30 degrees higher than normal (up to 110°F!). Many juvenile raptors were fledging early, and we’d hoped that bird parents were extra vigilant.
Videos and images of Journey flapping his wings and hopping to higher branches of the nest to beat the heat had us cheering him on as he strengthened his wings for his first flight. Until…
…he disappeared from the nest! “He likely fledged,” reported Diana G. This poignant image shows mom in the nest looking in vain for Journey and panting from the heat.
On June 28, Journey indeed fledged too soon due to the extreme heat and safely fluttered to the ground. A nearby neighbor discovered Journey in her backyard and reported the incident to Birds of Prey Northwest, a wildlife organization based in St. Maries, Idaho, near Coeur d’Alene.
Countless organizations assist wild animals. In nearby St. Maries, Idaho, the Birds of Prey Northwest (BOPNW) is instrumental in “providing medical treatment to injured, sick, and orphaned wild raptors with the goal of returning them to the wild.” SOURCE
Thanks to the efforts of staff at Birds of Prey Northwest, Journey was safely placed in a large aviary and treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration. He exercised his wings daily, and once our weather “cooled,” he would be ready to fly back to the nest where his parents were waiting for him. He was housed with another adult eagle who mentored him until he was prepared to be released.
Friday, July 16th, was the big day! KREM 2 news in Spokane, WA, covered the story. Diana G of Bluebell Court Eagles and Janie Veltkamp, director of BOPNW, were there to enable Journey’s first flight since he was rescued. He was launched off Diana G’s deck in Nine Mile Falls. Look how big he is!
He flew strongly and purposely, never losing altitude, to a nearby pine tree in the shade. The expectation was that Journey would return to his nest nearby, where his parents would continue to feed him and teach him to hunt.
Another dedicated volunteer of Birds of Prey Northwest, Tina Penny, shared these images on the Facebook page, Bluebell Court Eagles. She graciously gave me permission to share them.
There were thousands of people following Journey’s story all over the world in June-July 2021. The rescues of birds of prey that fledged early continue to spark our concern for climate change and our role as stewards of God’s creatures while we all inhabit Planet Earth.
BOPNW reported in 2021 that they rescued over 20 raptors during the 3 weeks of extreme heat. The organization averages 1-2 rescues a year under normal weather circumstances, in addition to its other work.
The final result reported was that Journey, the Bald Eagle, never flew back to his nest. The eagle family had not been seen in or near the nest since Journey was released. However, he looked strong and healthy when he was released, flying high.
According to Diana G, she explained on Facebook: “I believe Journey is ok, following his parents and learning to hunt. Eagles don’t tend to gather at this part of the lake…although that could be due to Mom and Dad chasing all other eagles away.”
Another commenter on Facebook said, “There are lots of eagles at the far end of the lake…we have counted 16-20 depending on when we go. Good mix of young and adults…Journey and parents are probably hanging out there.”
As Journey’s story suggests, nature has gifted these eagles with powerful instincts that we can only imagine. Perhaps it’s time to let go and trust that nature always has its way.
What Can We Do To Celebrate World Animal Day?
Consider donating to your local animal rescue organization, or volunteer your time when you can. Journey’s story opened our eyes to the wonderful folks who give of their own time and resources, such as Birds of Prey Northwest, to rescue and reintroduce our incredible (and some endangered) raptors back into their own habitats.
“Of all the special things we choose to do for our planet, let one of them to be of service to animals.” ― Paul Oxton
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme.
Join me next Sunday for October’s color challenge exploring shades of black and/or black and white!
I like to close with this image of Aero in 2010, standing boldly against the herd of cows.
If you have pets, give them extra hugs and treats today (and every day)!
Please also join me this Tuesday for the first Flower Hour Photo Challenge! 🍂🌻
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