Thanks to the attentive care it received at the Wildlife Rescue and Research Center (WRRC) of the Council of Agriculture’s Endemic Species Research Institute, a Malayan night heron that was lame from an injury recovered after two months of being looked after. However, as it was being released, it hesitated and held back for a while, and acted in a lovable way to show its gratitude to its caregivers and its reluctance to leave them, showing a glimpse of its intelligence.
The WRRC, which is located in Nantou County’s Jiji Township, said that when the Malayan night heron was brought in with an injury in late September, its right foot was badly broken. To prevent the stabilized fracture from becoming displaced again when the bird walked or moved around, the vets decided after some deliberation that it would be best to temporarily bandage its affected limb so that its foot would not touch the ground. However, they were worried that standing on its right leg for a long time might cause that foot to be injured too due to the pressure from its body weight. The vets then made the bird a customized pressure-relieving “foam shoe” based on the principle by which air-cushioned shoes absorb shocks and protect the wearer’s knees and ankles.
After the WRRC first posted pictures of the Malayan night heron standing on its only visible leg on its Facebook page, everyone who saw it felt distressed about its injury. Only when they found out that the bird had not had its leg amputated but only had a broken bone did they breathe a sigh of relief. They then praised the vets for their compassion and creativity.
Photo courtesy of the Wildlife Rescue and Research Center 照片：特生野生動物急救站提供
The WRRC said on its Facebook page that the vets and nursing staff all cared for the injured Malayan night heron as if it were one of their family, and when the foam footwear was removed and the bird could move around freely again, they decided to release it back into nature.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
在農委會特有生物研究保育中心野生動物急救站悉心照料下，因受傷跛腳的黑冠麻鷺，歷經兩個月來調養，終於恢復健康。不過，在野放過程中，牠也一度猶豫、遲疑並作出撒嬌狀，以示對照養人員的感謝及依依不捨之情，也讓人看到其靈性的一面﹗
Photo courtesy of the Wildlife Rescue and Research Center 照片：特生野生動物急救站提供
位於南投縣集集鎮的野生動物急救站表示，該黑冠麻鷺於九月下旬受傷被送來時，左腳已嚴重骨折。為了避免其走路或運動讓已經固定好的骨折處又位移，獸醫經一番考量後，索性將牠的患肢暫時包覆且不能著地，但又擔心長時間只靠單邊右腳站立，足部可能會承受不住身體的壓力也受傷，遂比照「氣墊鞋」對膝蓋與腳踝緩衝保護的原理，為鳥兒特別量「腳」訂作一只減壓的「泡棉鞋」。
當時急救站臉書貼出該黑冠麻鷺只剩一隻腳站立的畫面後，網友莫不心疼其傷勢，直到得知鳥兒並非被截肢，只是骨折罷了，也才鬆了一口氣，並對獸醫的貼心及創意予以高度肯定。
急救站在臉書上說，黑冠麻鷺受傷以來，獸醫、照養員等相關人員，莫不將其視為親人般照顧，且其在脫下「泡棉鞋」也能自由行動後，便決定予以野放重返大自然的懷抱。
（自由時報）
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