The Tribune

ACCORDING to Lynn Gape of the Bahamas National Trust, the story of Zemi the Farmer’s Cay osprey began with a phone call on Monday morning, July 2.

“A friend called me to say that a couple had returned to their home at Big Farmer’s Cay, Exuma and found an osprey they thought was injured and could I please give them a call,” she said.

Mrs Gape admitted to being less than enthusiastic about the call.

“Unfortunately, an osprey with an injured wing is not a very happy thing to hear,” she said.

The osprey appeared to have been on the beach for several days. Its wing was being carried at an unnatural angle and it was moving from some rocks on the beach to the shade of the coastal coppice.

Local ospreys were visiting it, and the assumption was that it was a young bird that had fallen out its nest and injured its wing.

Diane and Fenton Walsh were called and asked to take it some fish and give it some water.

Carsel Percentie of Little Farmer’s supplied fresh fish and the bird drank and ate but the problem remained.

An osprey that cannot fly cannot fish and the only option was to try and get the bird to Nassau to a vet so the wing could be examined.

The problem was, there was no flight from Farmer’s Cay until Wednesday and the bird need to come to Nassau as soon as possible.

“A number of things fell in place,” said Mrs Gape. “The Walshes were very willing to assist and do whatever needed to be done to help the bird.

“Andrew Kriz, our ECLSP park administrator, called them and offered moral support. Debbie Krukowski of ARK called Dr Davis at Palmdale Vet and he indicated that he had experience with ospreys and was willing to assist.

“Maggie Crouch, well known in wildlife rescue circles, volunteered to care for the osprey if we could get him to Nassau.

“The kind folk at Bell Island indicated that they had a flight bringing people to the island on Tuesday and the bird could come to Nassau on the return flight.

“Percentie found a pet carrier and Aiden Burrows provided a boat to carry the osprey on the hour long journey to Bell Island so that it could catch a ride to Nassau.

“The Osprey arrived in Nassau and Scott Johnson of the BNT picked him up and carried him to Palmdale Veterinary Clinic.

“Unfortunately, Dr Davis had been called out on an emergency and the osprey had to be left to await his return.”

Wednesday morning arrived with great news – Dr Davis was able to examine the Osprey and x-ray its wing.

Dr Davis as near as he could tell, the osprey was a young adult, and the injury was not serious.

There had been a storm the week before, and it was thought the bird may have been blown around and somehow managed to get its wing locked at an awkward angle.

The bird was kept for observation for 24 hours and then Maggie Crouch picked it up and took it to the home of Melissa Maura (BNT’s avian rehab person, who was off island).

The osprey was placed it in one of the aviaries and began the process of feeding and preparing for release.

Julian Jakusz helped to prepare the aviary with a special stump for feeding and a perch for Zemi to fly up to once he had finished eating.

“It was now a waiting game” said Mrs Gape. “Everyone emailed daily with updates on Zemi and then on Friday, Maggie called me and said the bird is ready to go home.”

On Saturday, July 7, Mr Jakusz helped Maggie secure the osprey in a carrier and followed her to the airport.

Maggie and Zemi boarded the flight to Farmer’s Cay and the osprey was handed over once again to the Walshes and Carsel Percentie.

Diane Walsh described the release: “Fenton and I got Zemi into our boat and took him over to our beach on Big Farmers Cay.

“Fenton carried him to the spot where he had been hanging out, near the rocks where he had been in the habit of standing. We opened the carrier door wide, stepped back and waited a while, but Zemi seemed uncertain and didn’t budge.

“After a while, Fenton went behind the carrier and tipped it forward a little and Zemi slid forward toward the sand.

“What happened next happened so fast, I can’t even describe it.

“As soon as Zemi realised he was home and free, he took off – I don’t think his talons even touched the sand before he was in the air.

“He flew south over the water, at first in a wide loop heading generally west towards Little Farmers Cay and later curving back northeast toward the upper part of Big Farmers, and then he was gone. It was a breathtaking moment.”

“As we mentioned to Maggie, we’ve been seeing at least one osprey flying near us several times every day – and this morning, around 6am, an osprey flew low directly over our house. I feel very confident that Zemi is back hanging out with his friends and doing whatever ospreys do,” said Diane.

“Not all wildlife rescue stories have a happy ending, but we are thrilled that this one did,” said Mrs Gape.

“Organisations, like the Trust, the Bahamas Humane Society and Ardastra Gardens are called on a regular basis to assist with injured wildlife, in most cases birds. We are extremely lucky to have a network of wildlife rescue people like Maggie Crouch, Melissa Maura , Julian Jakusz, Brenda Frank and Lynn Grafton who are willing to give up a great deal of time and personal funds to assist injured wild animals.”

Mrs Gape went to say that on the marine side, “the caring folk at the Atlantis Marine Water Features department always step up and are ready to assist with injured sea turtles, dolphins and even manatees that venture into the busy Nassau harbour.”

Diane Walsh of Big Farmer’s Cay said: “The real hero of this story here on the Farmers Cay end is Carsel Percentie of Little Farmers Cay. It was he who first realised the osprey was injured and apprised us of the situation; it was he who went out and caught the live fish that kept the osprey alive for the last couple of days; and it was he who provided the pet carrier that enabled us to get the osprey to Bell Island and Nassau. I should also mention that he took time off from paying work to do these things.”