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From webcams to software on animal illnesses nationally, Wildlife Center looks high-tech Date published: 4/15/2010 By Rob Hedelt ONE of the Virginia The Waynesboro hospital for native wildlife--its mission is "teaching the world to care about and to care for wildlife and the environment"--was created and is run by Ed Clark, whose devotion to wildlife is reflected in the center's advocacy for animals. Along with executive vice president and spokesman Randy Huwa, Clark took some time recently to share a few high-tech projects the center is working on, as well as details of a recent success story of an eagle rescued March 19 from near Callao in Northumberland County, most likely after being hit by a vehicle. Through some intensive rehabilitation at the Wildlife Center, the young eagle was able to be released April 3 at the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge near Warsaw in Richmond County. Clark and Huwa said the connection the Center now has with thousands of animal lovers through an injured eagle, a Web camera and the Internet has them thinking about the potential to expand that in the future. The bird in question was an eaglet hatched at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in 2008 that created a worldwide following through its online appearances on what was dubbed "Eagle Cam." Born with avian pox on its beak, the animal the Wildlife Center refers to as #08-0887 was admitted there for treatment in May of 2008. In August of last year, Center officials announced that the eagle could not be released back into the wild because of damage the pox had caused to the beak. Both Clark and Huwa, however, noted that it was amazing to see how many people all over the world became deeply connected to the bird that followers dubbed "Buddy" and its malady through the Web camera. "That connection followed the eagle here to the Wildlife Center," said Clark. He noted that staff has provided regular updates and photos online to let the followers know how their "Buddy" is doing as medical treatment continues and training is being done to possibly prepare him for contact with humans as an education animal.
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