“My favorite case during my internship was by far the American White Pelican. This animal had unique care and handling requirements, a lot of personality, and was at the Wildlife Center for quite a long time. It was also one of the only cases that I got to see the entire rehabilitation process for. I was there to help with the initial exam, helped with the pelican’s care throughout its stay, and got to see video of the release. It was very fulfilling to see this pelican’s complete journey. On top of that, its sassy personality made me love this patient very quickly.

“Since the start of my internship, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in animal handling and have learned a lot about wildlife anatomy and behavior. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy working with raptors and have strengthened my love for wildlife overall. I’ve become much more conscious of human-wildlife interactions and think a lot about ways to better coexist with wildlife. I think the largest impact it had on me has been helping me to solidify my career goals. Now that my internship has ended, I’m determining where to go next. I now know that I want to continue working in a way that directly benefits wildlife and wild ecosystems, and that I want to find field-based work. Knowing this, I’ve been able to find lots of exciting new opportunities to explore."

-- Allison Steuri, Fall Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern, pictured above carrying American White Pelican #24-2548 outside for daily swim time.