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What is a Behavioral Injury? How is it different from a Physical Injury? How did these animals become injured?
Why can't they be released? The are all good questions. A Physical injury is the easiest to picture. If a hawk
is hit by a car and it's wing is damaged beyond repair it will never fly again. Being able to fly is how a Hawk
hunts for food. It's also how it escapes from predators trying to eat it. If it can't fly then releasing it
back to the wild result in it slowing starving to death. The Physically Injured animals from Exhibit Trail
can non longer survive in the wild due to their injuries.
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Behavioral Injuries are not as easy to see. The Raccoons are a good example of a Behavioral injury. The
Raccoons at Willowbrook were originally found as babies by a family and raised as pets. Wild animals should
NEVER be raised by anyone not trained and licensed in the care and feeding of them. As these Raccoons got
older and grew up their wild origins became more apparent and they didn't belong in a family setting. Since
they were raised by people, one aspect of being wild is missing. The fear of people. If these Raccoons were
released in the wild they'd eventually come across people and go up to them for food. It might even sound cute
however they wouldn't understand why they weren't getting fed and could easily become aggressive resulting
in injury. Wild Raccoons have been raised by their parents to stay away from humans resulting in peaceful
coexistence of people and nature.
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The animals on trail at Willowbrook are feed special diets specific to their species. They are also treated
with dignity and not trained to do tricks or perform. While being caged for the rest of their natural life
isn't as good as being free, we can only hope the provided food and security makes up for this at least a
little. Each of the trail animals are representative of either native DuPage County animals or of animals that
migrate to or through DuPage County. The Golden Eagle would usually migrate through at very high level. Usually
high enough that you wouldn't even see them. On the other hand, Bald Eagles migrate through and may stop for awhile
at larger forest preserves such as Herrick Lake, McKee Marsh and Pratts Wayne Woods. Occasional reports have also
been made from Fermi Lab on the western edge of DuPage County and at Hidden Lake Forest Preserve near Willowbrook Wildlife Center! Blackwell Forest Preserve, specifically at the top of Mount Hoy, is a good spot to watch for migrating Eagles and Hawks in spring and fall.
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Other Nature Centers