West Coast Falconry faces heartbreak after birds go missing
By Anahita Jafary
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MARYSVILLE, California (KCRA) — A break-in at West Coast Falconry in Marysville has left five birds missing, sparking devastation among workers who fear the animals cannot survive without human care.
On Friday morning, owner Kate Marden woke up to shocking news.
“My housemate woke me up at six and said all the birds were gone. So whatever occurred, occurred in the very early morning hours,” Marden said.
She described feeling numb after discovering her home and business had been violated.
“The anklets have been cut. The jesses have been cut. Some of the leashes had been cut,” Marden said.
For Marden and her team, the most heartbreaking part is the release of their birds, which are imprinted on humans and cannot survive in the wild.
“These birds are all imprinted on humans. They cannot survive in the wild without our care. For most of them, this is a death sentence,” said Sierra Whelan, an educator at West Coast Falconry.
Whelan said the experience has been overwhelming.
“It’s complete and utter shock is basically where we’re at. And then the crying panic of your friends are gone… And no, these aren’t pets. They’re never going to be pets. They’re habituated to humans, but they each have their own individual personalities that we’ve come to love and care for,” Whelan said.
The team has been walking and driving around the property in search of the missing birds, but their efforts have not been enough.
“We’re constantly checking every single bird that flies above that looks to be the right size to see if they match any of the markings we’re looking for on the birds we’re missing,” Whelan said.
Marden adding, “We still have five birds out, an eagle, two owls, a hawk and a falcon. The hawk is blind in one eye and was deemed irreplaceable because it was their dominant eye. So her hunting skills are cut in half. The peregrine was a bird that was transferred to us from Raptor Rehab. He had been taken from the wild illegally and had been imprinted.”
Marden shared another unsettling detail about the break-in.
“Trying not to take it personally, but it feels lik there was a photo of my friend and that was hacked up and put on the floor and stomped on,” Marden said.
The facility will not be fully operational to offer its classes until October, especially if the missing birds are not recovered.
“If you see one that looks suspiciously comfortable around humans, call us please, because that’s the only way we’re going to be able to come and recover them,” Whelan said.
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