Mona Rutger
1 Mona Rutger rescues wounded wild animals. She helps to heal them and then
releases them back into the wild.
2 She became a licensed rehabilitator (someone who
helps heal) more than twenty years ago. She did it because no one in her area could do it. At first
she thought she would do it part time as a hobby in her spare time. She thought she would help 20 to
30 animals a year. She was wrong. As soon as people heard about her she was soon working full time
and healing 2,500 animals a year. This caused her to quit her full time job as a secretary, and she
and her husband have used their savings to keep the center going. She also gets donations from those
who want to help.
3 Recently, she was named as a CNN hero. Her work helping everything from
bald eagles to turtles return to the wild has caught national attention. She says that people
sometimes think that she should just let nature take its course. But she says that 90% of the animals
that are woundedare hurt by humans. So that is not nature in the first place.
4 An example of
this is a bald eagle that was hit by a small jet. Her team went to help the eagle and bring it back
to her center. Then they took it to a veterinarian. The eagle had three pins placed in its wing. It
is now getting stronger and soon will be back in the wild.
5 Not all animals can be fully
healed. Some animals must stay at the center because they would not make it in the wild. When this
happens Mona tries to find them educational jobs at zoos, reserves, or nature centers. She believes
that it is our responsibility to help the animals that we affect.
6 Mona has worked for many
years making a difference in the lives of animals. She is a great example of what one person can do
to change the world for the better.
Why did Mona start the center?