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A green heron
turned up in a Pleasant
Hill BART train bound for
San Francisco. (BART photo)
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A
young green heron, not yet able
to fly, was rescued from a Bay Area
Rapid Transit (BART) train by a
Good Samaritan.
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Green
heron |
When Arlen Mendoza got
on a Bart train headed for San Francisco
at the Pleasant Hill station she
noticed a commotion going on with
the other passengers. Looking under
her seat she saw a small frightened
bird. Realizing the bird was in
trouble, she took off the beanie
hat she was wearing and wrapped
the little bird in it, causing applause
from the other passengers. Mendoza
didn’t know what kind of bird
it was, but she realized that it
definitely needed to get to a wildlife
rescue center.
Not having a car, Mendoza
commissioned a ride from a friend
and together they drove the bird
25 miles to a rescue center they
knew of. Presenting the bird, they
learned it was a fledgling green
heron. The bird was transferred
to International Bird Rescue Research
Center in Cordelia, which cares
exclusively for waterfowl and aquatic
birds.
When Mendoza learned
the bird was transferred to IBRRC
and that it had a good chance of
survival she was thrilled. “I’m
so happy to hear Zoe Bart is safe
and well,” she said when called
by IBRRC's Public Affairs Director,
Karen Benzel. In her short time
with the bird, Mendoza said she
felt a bond and named the little
bird Zoe Bart. “She seemed
to know I was trying to help her,”
Mendoza said.
After an initial examination
and treatment for parasites, Zoe
Bart joined other green heron orphans
being raised at the center. On August
17, 2005 Zoe Bart was able to hunt
on her own and her blood work, weight,
and feathers determined she was
ready for release. Her federal band
was applied and she was released
with other green herons into the
Suisun Marsh, a perfect habitat
for herons with an abundance of
the small fish, insects and frogs
that herons feed on. However, she
didn't go via BART!
Zoe's rescuer, Arlen
Mendoza and her boyfriend, Robert
Medeiros were excited to learn that
they could adopt Zoe as part of
IBRRC's adoption program. They will
receive an official certificate
that includes Zoe's Federal band
number and date and place of release.
If you would like to
adopt a bird for yourself or as
a gift, please
visit our adoption page.
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Media contact:
Public Affairs Director
(831) 622-7588
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