ODESSA — Kris Porter’s animal rescue facility has always had something new going on.
“We are always a work in progress,” said Porter.
Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife in Odessa gets help from the Boy Scouts to build habitats.
“This is one of my favorite Boy Scout projects because they did exactly what I needed. I can alternate the water. I can fill it better," Porter said.
Coda, the beaver, will soon be able to call this habitat home.
But this is the biggest project yet.
It’s called a Flight Barn.
Exactly what’s needed here to be able to rehab the larger species of raptors.
“So that’s the bald eagles, the osprey, the black vultures. Really anything that needs to strengthen and condition its wings,” Porter said.
The flight barn cost about $60,000 and was paid for with donations and grants.
“It’s like a huge relief to have this done.”
While Kris, the former lead zookeeper at Busch Gardens, will take in just about any kind of creature, from snakes to bobcats to deer, it’s the birds that she knows best.
Common reasons they are brought here include car hits and toxic poisoning from eating rat bait.
“Sometimes they need to recondition it takes them so far down that they have to fly for a little while to get it out of their system,” she said.
This is one of the only flight barns in this part of Florida and will be the final step in the rehab process that hopefully leads to a return to the wild.
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