Rescuer’s Perspective – Katie Mcafee

Between both our Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay-Delta wildlife centers, International Bird Rescue helps to save the lives of thousands of birds each year. Our specialized rehabilitation clinics are open 365 days a year and staffed with an incredible team of technicians, volunteers, center managers, and one resident Veterinarian. While we are grateful to this incredible group of people for the work that they do, almost all of the day-to-day rescues that we see would NOT be possible without the personal action of the many kind-hearted rescuers that bring birds to our centers every day. It is for this reason that we value the perspective and motivation behind the many rescues that these everyday heroes take the time to make. Today’s rescuer’s perspective focuses on Katie Mcafee who took matters into her own hands when she saw an abandoned group of baby ducklings on the side of a busy highway after their mother had been struck by a car.

It was a typical day for Katie as she was driving home from work on Highway 37, not far from our San Francisco Bay-Delta wildlife center in Fairfield, California. As she was preparing to exit the busy highway, she noticed a dead female Mallard on the side of the road, with a cluster of baby ducklings standing close by. She steered the car to the side of the road, and successfully coerced the young ducklings into her care. She then brought them to the center and shared her tale of saving the young bird’s lives.

When asked why she did what she did, Katie described the experience as “just knowing in my gut that I had to do something.” Katie mentioned that she drives highway 37 regularly, and often sees dead animals on the side of the road. Parts of highway 37 are active wildlife habitat, and as a result, many animals suffer a sad fate. Katie said that it felt good to actually be able to help the ducklings after seeing so many animals on the same road that could not be saved.

Katie is a prime example of the type of rescuer that we see come through our doors all of the time at the center. A nature enthusiast, who notices the disparity in the natural world, and wants to do something to help. When we asked Katie how she felt after doing her very good deed, she replied saying that she left the center with a sense of fulfillment and excitement after being able to help the young birds. Thank you, Katie, for helping the birds, and for joining us in our mission to do our part every day, to protect the natural world!