Many lives have been saved by the quick administration of CPR. But it’s not often you hear of cardiopulmonary resuscitation being used on a baby bird.
Officers from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Services division were recently called to Mountain House about two baby turkeys that had dropped down into a pipe.
The chicks — or more accurately, poults — were scared and ran deeper into adjoining pipes when the officers tried to reach them to rescue them. That’s when one of the officers contacted Tri County Wildlife Care.
“The funny thing about turkey chicks is that they love worms, so if you wiggle a finger, they will often come running,” officials with the wildlife agency said in a post on social media.
Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened. One of the babies was pulled out and immediately released to its mother. But the second chick “was more difficult because it was cold, blowing bubbles and trying to die,” wildlife officials said.
San Joaquin County officers weren’t giving up, though. They performed CPR on the tiny bird until it was revived.
To help the bird recover, one of the officers, Marietta Aldine, tucked the yellow ball of fluff into her vest to keep it warm while she and her partner transported the animal to Tri County Wildlife Care in Jackson.
The TCWC facility said the bird was doing well, “gobbling juicy worms and grain with an orphaned buddy that came in the same day.”
The Sheriff’s Office was quick to boast about the rescue and the new lease on life its officers bestowed on the baby chick, quipping, “Thanks to their quick actions, this little one has a second chance… at least until Thanksgiving.”
