On a Pocono property, an ordinary afternoon was interrupted by a quiet observation: a vulture sitting where no vulture should be. A homeowner's unease became a call, and that call reached a rehabilitation center where the animal was given a name, a diagnosis of both a shattered wing and poisoned blood, and a long road of care. Like many small rescues, it reminds us how much of animal survival depends on a stranger who chose to look twice, and on people willing to meet a grounded creature's loneliness as seriously as its injuries.
Vulture Gomez, Recovering From Broken Wing and Lead Poisoning, Bonds With Stuffed Companions
He now has a real companion to share that attachment with.
Mark
Why does a story about stuffed birds matter?
Mimi
Because the staff were treating more than the injuries. Gomez had a broken wing and lead poisoning, and they also worried about the fact that vultures live in groups and he was alone.
Mark
So the stuffed vultures were a practical choice?
Mimi
It seems so. They had no other vultures at the time, so they gave him a stand-in. Tancredi said he ran right up and snuggled in.
Luke
Let's be careful there. The staff say he took to them immediately, but that's their reading of his behavior. We don't have any measure of whether it changed his recovery.
Mimi
Fair. What's reported is his behavior and the fact that the collection grew and is placed in both enclosures.
Mark
What about the lead poisoning?
Mimi
He got chelation therapy for it. The source doesn't say how he was exposed.
Luke
Right, and I'd not guess at it. The cause is unknown from this reporting.
Mark
And Gizmo?
Mimi
Another vulture with a broken wing arrived, and they introduced the two quickly. The center says Gomez seemed thrilled.
Luke
Again, that's the center's interpretation, posted on Facebook. What's actually unresolved is whether Gomez can fly or go back to the wild. Nobody knows yet.
Il Polso
- A homeowner noticed a vulture grounded on her property and called for help without hesitation.
- Gomez arrived with a broken wing and lead poisoning, and staff found he was unsteady in ways the wing alone could not explain.
- Chelation therapy and wing surgery were under way, while the isolated bird faced the risk of loneliness among his social kind.
- Stuffed vultures became his companions, and when Gizmo, another injured vulture, arrived, the rescue's future for Gomez opened into an uncertain but hopeful new chapter.
On a Pocono property, an ordinary afternoon was interrupted by a quiet observation: a vulture sitting where no vulture should be. A homeowner's unease became a call, and that call reached a rehabilitation center where the animal was given a name, a diagnosis of both a shattered wing and poisoned blood, and a long road of care. Like many small rescues, it reminds us how much of animal survival depends on a stranger who chose to look twice, and on people willing to meet a grounded creature's loneliness as seriously as its injuries.
A woman noticed a vulture sitting on the ground on her property and sensed that something was wrong. She called the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, and its director, Janine Tancredi, answered.
The rescuers named the bird Gomez. His broken wing was plain to see and would need surgery, but he also seemed unsteady in a way the wing did not explain. Testing revealed lead poisoning, which was treated with chelation therapy alongside the wing repair.
With no other vultures in care, the staff worried that Gomez, a social animal, might grow lonely. They gave him a stuffed vulture, and he took to it immediately, running over to snuggle in. Soon there were several, placed in both his indoor and outdoor enclosures so a friend was always nearby.
His recovery is not finished. He still cannot fly, and it is unclear whether he will return to the wild. Then Gizmo, another vulture with a broken wing, arrived, and Gomez responded with evident excitement. He still loves his stuffed companions, but now he has a living one as well. What remains open is whether his wing will heal enough for flight.
A woman noticed a vulture sitting on the ground on her property and had a feeling something was wrong. She called the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, and Janine Tancredi, the center's director, answered the call.
The rescue named the bird Gomez and began working out what was wrong with him. One problem was obvious: a broken wing that would need surgery. But staff also noticed he was wobbly and seemed off in a way the wing alone did not explain. Testing showed he was suffering from lead poisoning as well.
Gomez was treated on both fronts. He received chelation therapy for the lead and underwent surgery to repair the wing. The treatment left the staff with a different concern. At that point the rescue had no other vultures in its care, and vultures are social animals that live in groups. The carers worried he might get lonely.
Their answer was to give him a stuffed vulture for company. It worked better than they expected. "He took to them immediately," Tancredi told The Dodo, saying he literally ran right up and snuggled in.
One stuffed bird became several. Gomez now has a whole fleet of them and is pretty much always with them. Tancredi said some are kept in his outdoor enclosure and some in his indoor enclosure, so that wherever he is, he has friends nearby.
His recovery is not finished. Gomez still cannot fly, and it is unclear at this time whether he will be able to return to the wild.
Then another vulture arrived at the rescue. Gizmo had also come in with a broken wing, and staff introduced him to Gomez as soon as they could. The center described the moment on Facebook, calling Gomez's reaction to another turkey vulture absolutely heartwarming and saying that, judging by his excitement, they thought he was just as thrilled as the staff were.
Gomez still loves his stuffed turkey vultures, but he now has a real companion to share that attachment with. What remains open is the question of his wing: whether he will fly again, and whether he will ever leave the rescue.
Citazioni salienti
He took to them immediately. Literally ran right up and snuggled in.— Janine Tancredi, director, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center
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