All of Chewonki's resident animals are considered nonreleasable for different reasons. Some were collected illegally from the wild, a few were unwanted pets, and others have permanent injuries. Whatever the case, Chewonki consideres it an honor to care for these animals, and we hold State and Federal permits to possess, exhibit and teach with each of them.

Our facilities were built in 1999 by Leon Garnett and his crew. Two aviary buildings house our resident birds, and our flight cage is reserved for rehabilitating wildlife. Since our animals spend a lot of time on the road, we expect that their time spent here should be restful. As a result, our animal homes are not designed for public display and are not open to the public. We hope we can have the opportunity to bring them to you someday!

Here is a chronicle of the nonreleaseable animals now residing at our facility.

The Mammals

Maeve: Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus fuscus), female. Maeve was orphaned in 2000 and came to us in January 2001 from Wild Again, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Massachusetts.

Wejak: Groundhog/Woodchuck (Marmota monax), female. Acquired in December 2003 from the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, ME. She was found in a ditch on the side of the road, thought to be about 3 weeks old at the time. It is suspected that her mother was hit by a car.

The Eagles (not currently used on programs)

Wocawson (Wo'-caw-sun): Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), female. Wocawson was found injured in Delaware because of chronically weak bones as a juvenile. She has a permanently disabled right wing and cannot fly. She was given to Chewonki by Tri-County Bird Rescue in Delaware in April 1989. We hoped to train her to be used in school programs, but unfortunately, she did not adjust well to being handeled by our trainers. She is a display bird used at our facility.

Wocawson means "Gentle Wind Maker" from a Glooscap legend where Glooscap, an Indian god who taught the Indians lessons to help them live in harmony with the world, outsmarted the powerful eagle who was making damaging windstorms. After 7 days of searching, Glooscap tricked Wocawson by appealing to his vanity to go higher and higher, then dropped the bird and broke his wing to subdue it. Our Bald Eagle was named in a Native American naming ceremony by Mike Renko, a Penobscot Indian of Belfast.

Aquila: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), male. Found shot in Alna, Maine, Nov. 2001, and taken to Tufts Wildlife Clinic, Tufts University, Grafton, Mass. He has an injury to the left elbow, joint fused and unable to fly. When found in Nov. believed to be about 14 months old, most likely a migratory bird from Quebec or Labrador. Estimated hatching year 2000.

The Owls

Byron: Barred Owl (Strix varia), female. Byron came here in 1990 in the early winter of her hatching year. Byron was given to us by Dr. Amy Wood, DVM. She was illegally shot in Brunswick and her wing had to be amputated.

Varia: Barred Owl (Strix varia), female. Came to Chewonki in December 2003 from the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, ME. She was found on the side of the road in Hampton, ME. Her left wing is permanently disabled from an humerus fracture and ligaments that healed incorrectly. Estimated hatching year 2003.

Olivia: Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), female, age unknown. She was hit by a car in Newport News, VA and was given to us by the Virginia Living Museum in June 1992. Her left wing injury makes her unable to fly.

Sparky: Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), male, hatching year 1993. Sparky came to us from Yarmouth, Maine, in 1994. He is believed to have hit a power line, since he was found underneath the lines with a broken wing. His right wing was fractured in three places and he is unable to fly.

Acadia: Saw Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), female. Hit by car in 1998, fracture in right wing, unable to fly properly.

Otis II : Eastern Screech Owl (Otis asio), age and sex unknown. Came to us in December of 2007 from the Center For Wildlife in Cape Neddick, ME. Possible impact with a car that resulted in loss of eyesight and brain damage. Otis is fully flighted, but still considered non-releasable.

The Hawks and Falcon

Quest : Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), male - age unknown. Acquired June 2006 from Barbara Tomlinson of North Wilkesboro, NC. Found with old left humerus fracture in North Carolina, September 2001.

Othello: Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), female - age unknown. Acquired from Avian Haven Rehabilitation Center in Freedom, ME. Injured in August 2002 possibly by a car. Humerus fracture of the right wing, which never healed properly.

The Reptiles

Georgia: Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene c. major), female. This turtle is a native of Georgia and Texas, and subspecies of Maine’s Endangered Eastern Box Turtle. Given to us in 1988 by the Tufts Wildlife Clinic, Tufts University, Grafton, MA, after she was confiscated for being picked up illegally.

Carolina: Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), female - exact age unknown. Carolina is an endangered species in Maine and was confiscated by the state in 1994 from illegal breeders.

Brutus: Blandings Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), male. Brutus was found in southern Maine as he was crossing a road and was kept as a pet in someone’s house for 10 years. He was confiscated by the Maine Fisheries and Wildlife in 1994 and is listed as an endangered species and considered very rare in Maine.

Okee: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), exact age and sex unknown. Confiscated for illegal possession in Dresden, Maine because it was purchased from the internet. Warden Doug Kulis transferred this young alligator to Chewonki in October 2005.

Hector: Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), male. Given to Chewonki in 2000 by a family from Bath, ME, they could no longer keep him due to his size and special needs. These iguanas are native to South America and commonly sold in pet stores. Unfortunately, Chewonki gets at least 4 calls per year from owners looking for a new home.

Ona: Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps), female. Given to us in April 2007 from an Outdoor Classroom instructor who had her as a pet. These animals are not native to Maine but would be found in a more hot and dry climate, such as the desert.

Ella: Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata), sex unknown. Given to us as a hatchling in July 2006 from an MCS 36 student. The student had a female Corn snake who laid a number of eggs and Ella was one of them.

The Arthropods

Giant Millipedes: (Archispirostreptus gigas) Original colony purchased from Wards Biology Supply Co. They are detritivores, which means they eat detritus (leaf litter). They are native to tropical and subtropical western Africa.

Chilean Rose Tarantulas: (Grammostola rosea) Rosie was purchased from Ward's Biology Supply Co. in 1994. Stolita was given to us by the Maine Wildlife Park after being seized as an illegal pet. There are many tarantula species throughout the U.S., but none here in Maine. Non-native venomous spiders are illegal in Maine without a permit.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches: (Gromphadorphino portentosa) Lab-raised and originally purchased from Wards Biology Supply Co. These cockroaches are native to the Island of Madagascar. Hissing sound comes from forcing air through valves in the abdomen. Some "blasts" can be heard up to 12 feet away (290 decibels).

Annam Walking Sticks: (Baculum extradentatum) These walking sticks were given to us by an entomologist for the State of Maine. Originally from Vietnam, our walking sticks are varying ages, up to 1 yr. 9 months and can grow over 4 inches long!

Other Friends

Spotted Salamanders: (Ambystoma maculatum), males - age unknown. Acquired in June 2003 from Dr. Bryan Windmiller who obtained them legally for an amphibian and reptile class being taught in Maine.

Peepers: Domestic Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), male. Peepers was given to us by Brook’s Farm and Feed store in Brunswick when he was a 2-week-old chick in 1997.