20160423 - Raptor Appreciation Day

The Raptor Center holds yearly "Raptor Appreciation Day" event around end of April where visitors can come and see a show and also learn a few things about each raptor from the center's staff volunteers. This was my second year to visit. if you have a chance to do so, I highly recommend it. The Raptor Center of the Lorain County Metro Parks is a facility committed to the professional care and management of non-releasable raptors. The staff are also dedicated to educate about and foster respect for these masters of the skies and their roles in nature. These birds are property of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Only through their permission and through the US Fish and Wildlife Service is this facility possible. The residents of the center are wild-hatched birds that have sustained permanent injuries, usually resulting from close contact with humans. As a result these birds cannot hunt for their own food or survive in the wild. Each Raptor Center resident has now become a wildlife ambassador and used during education programs throughout the County.