2 animals rescued from Regina teens with bad intentions

Two very different animals are now in safety after falling into the wrong hands recently in Regina.

Megan Lawrence, director of rehabilitation with Salthaven West, said both a merlin (which is a species of falcon) and a baby jackrabbit came into their care last week after being found with people who had seemingly bad intentions.

Last week, a local man took action when a group of teenagers came up to his door and told him they were selling a falcon.

With his suspicions heightened, he asked to see the bird and eventually offered the group $20 in order to keep it safe.

It's very sad that an animal has to go through that.- Megan Lawrence from Salthaven West. 

"He knew what they were doing was wrong and wanted to get it away from them as soon as possible," Lawrence said. "We don't normally recommend people purchase wildlife, of course it's illegal, however, it was the only way to get it safely into his care."

The man took the falcon in and called conservation officers. Officers alerted Salthaven, which was able to go out and rescue it.

Lawrence said she isn't sure how the teens got their hands on the merlin in the first place, but suspects they either took it when it was young or when it was injured.

"We're very thankful that it ended up in good hands."

When the bird was brought in to Salthaven, Lawrence said his feathers were in fine condition, although he was thin, stressed and dehydrated.

As part of his rehabilitation, rescuers have started to do some flight training to get the bird strong enough to return to the wild soon.

Rabbit rescue

A teenage girl was at a Regina fast food restaurant a few days ago when she overheard a group of teenagers holding a baby jackrabbit. The group was reportedly talking about playing with the bunny and hurting it.

Lawrence said the girl went up and asked for the rabbit. As soon as it was in her possession, she left with it and turned it into Salthaven.

"It's heartbreaking. People don't respect wildlife and they don't realize that they can experience fear and pain and stress just like people can. It's very sad that an animal has to go through that," said Lawrence.

The rescued jackrabbit is now recovering in care.

Lawrence said the rabbit is in OK health, although it is also a little thin and dehydrated.

People often assume baby rabbits are orphaned because their mothers don't stay with them, Lawrence said.

For the small animal, the only defense is to stay still and blend into their surroundings. Because of this, they can very easily be caught.

Lawrence said for those who may come across an animal in need, it is important not to start a confrontation, and to only rescue the animal if it's safe to do so. If not, she said they call police, conservation officers or the humane society for help.

She also urges people to talk to their children about respecting wildlife and being kind to animals.

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