CROW Patients in Sanibel Relocated for Hurricane Ian

After closely monitoring Hurricane Ian’s projected path and the predicted catastrophic damage, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) ensured that their patients and staff safely evacuated the CROW campus on Sanibel to a safe off-island location on Tuesday prior to the hurricane’s arrival. In support of CROW and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida opened their doors to CROW’s wildlife patients and any other injured wildlife impacted by the hurricane. 

The Conservancy has taken great strides towards helping Sanibel and the CROW clinic recover. As well as maintaining their own facility and taking care of patients after Hurricane Ian, the Conservancy admitted a total of eighty-one animals following the day after the storm. To accommodate the influx of wildlife, the Conservancy and CROW collected donations of essential items including towels, ice packs, sanitizer, batteries, extensions cords, and a variety of fruits and veggies for the wildlife.

With the Conservancy’s support, the CROW clinic was able to celebrate the successful release of one of their patients, Magnificent Frigatebird (22-4453) only days after Hurricane Ian, on October 1st. As well as celebrating the release of their Magnificent Frigatebird patient, CROW also celebrates the first sighting of Magnificent Frigatebirds in e-bird tracking history, sixty miles inland above the Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management area after Hurricane Ian. 

CROW staff aren’t yet able to assess the extent of the damage at the clinic on Sanibel Island due to the island's inaccessibility. However, aerial footage of the clinic that was collected after the Hurricane’s landfall allows for the staff to feel slightly more at ease knowing that there are remaining structures including the Hospital, Visitor Education Center, and Student Housing Buildings. 

Both the CROW Clinic and the Conservancy fundraised. The CROW Clinic’s donation fund has collected a total of $4,423 in donations that will likely go towards helping them recover and rebuild a permanent home. The Conservancy’s fund to raise money to support injured and orphaned wildlife at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital raised $1,655 towards an end goal of $2,500. The Conservancy’s funds help to support the influx of injured wildlife and aid in their recovery.