(July 8, 2024)

In the last two days since Hurricane Beryl hit Houston, the Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center has rescued and taken in more than 1,100 native wildlife! Hurricane Beryl has left many animals orphaned and injured, and the Houston SPCA and Wildlife Center are avidly working tirelessly to rescue and care for these affected animals. Aviary species are particularly vulnerable during hurricane season, as they can be knocked out of their nests by the high winds and driving rain, and many drown due to flooding. Most species our staff has received include herons, egrets, Mississippi kites, blue jays, Mourning doves, White-winged doves, and opossums, with more still arriving.

Summertime is baby season for egrets, a species of bird belonging to the heron family. They live in saltwater and freshwater habitats, such as marshes and wetlands, and it is common to find hundreds nesting in areas around Houston. After Hurricane Beryl tore through Houston, our Wildlife Center responded to a rescue involving hundreds of egrets nesting in trees in a northeast Houston neighborhood off Kiowa River Lane. Many juvenile and baby egrets were blown out of their nests and drowned, while hundreds more were found waterlogged and shivering in the grass below their destroyed homes.

Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center responded to the scene the morning of July 8th, rescuing approximately 300 of the ill and orphaned egrets among the hundreds found deceased. All rescued egrets and received wildlife will be triaged at the Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center, receiving individualized treatment from staff veterinarians. Most of these egrets arrived at our campus cold and weak, and our staff immediately assessed their general condition, prioritizing warmth and security.