MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Personnel aboard the base came together to rescue and reunite a juvenile osprey with its mother after the young bird was discovered on the ground below its nest nearby the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office.
The bird's vulnerable position prompted an immediate response from installation employees. Becca Newman, the strategic communications officer for the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office, took charge after learning previous attempts to secure assistance were unsuccessful.
“I wasn’t made aware of the situation until about 1:30 p.m. when my colleague, Rob O’Day, told me about the bird and mentioned he had also called around with no success,” Newman said.
Newman contacted Quantico’s Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch and the Wildlife Rescue League. Experts warned her that the young osprey would not survive overnight due to local predators.
The Wildlife Rescue League dispatched an Owl Moon Raptor Center volunteer to safely retrieve the bird. Newman remained on-site, watching from a safe distance until help arrived. The young osprey was transported to the Owl Moon Raptor Center for short-term care before being successfully returned to its home and reunited with its mother.
“It mainly got rest and supportive care and feeding, along with pain meds, on the presumption that there would be pain and bruising from the long fall to the ground.” Suzanne Shoemaker, the director of Owl Moon Raptor Center, said. “She has become more active and alert so that now we feel she will be more competitive and get her fair share of the food delivered from her parents.”
While the center's policy is to name rescued birds after the finder, Newman requested the bird be named "Chesty" in honor of Marine Corps legend Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller.
“This whole experience has been so heartwarming and honestly incredibly inspiring,” Newman said. “It was amazing to see how fast everyone jumped into action to save this bird. I believe we have a duty to protect wildlife whenever and wherever we can. Whether it is helping a turtle cross the road safely, assisting an injured animal through rehabilitation or simply respecting creatures in their natural habitats, it all comes down to compassion and stewardship.”