Several years ago my family and I attended a harvest
festival at Sam Houston Jones State Park. Music wafted through the trees and crafts entertained the kids – all pretty low-key. What I remember most about the event was a woman who
came with several wild birds and animals. I was fascinated by the owls and
spoke with her briefly. Her name is Suzy Heck and she runs Heckhaven, a
wildlife rehabilitation center south of Lake Charles.
After that festival, Suzy and her organization were
always in the back of my mind. I wanted to know more and finally satisfied my
curiosity yesterday when Andrew and I went to visit Suzy and her menagerie of
injured animals and abandoned babies. What this woman does out of her love for
animals is nothing short of amazing.
A young black vulture.
Litters of baby opossums and raccoons, squirrels,
foxes, and rabbits, from tiny pink infants the size of your thumb to temperamental
adolescents and birds of a myriad of species – wading birds, raptors, owls, many with
broken wings or legs or injuries from gun shots or car accidents. Suzy also
takes in abandoned exotic pets such as ferrets, chinchillas, reptiles and cockatoos.
They are all welcome at her wildlife sanctuary. Many of the animals arrive via Animal
Control or the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Some are brought by people
who find injured animals in their backyards. Her goal is always to rehabilitate
them and release them back to the wild. But if an animal is permanently injured
or for some other reason cannot survive on its own, the animal becomes a
permanent resident.
Baby opossum.
A very talkative and charming cockatoo. "But he'll bite your finger off," says Suzi.
Suzy does not consider any of the animals, even the
permanent residents, as pets. “They’re wild animals. You can’t pet them or
snuggle with them.” But I suspect she becomes attached to them (and they to
her) nonetheless and she cares for them like family. She does, after all, name
the animals, at least the permanent residents. During Hurricane Ike in 2008, her property flooded. Her home
filled with three feet of water. Suzy, her elderly mother, and “five dogs,
three cats, two raccoons, and a pot belly pig” escaped to the attic. For three
days!
Young curious raccoons.
Heckhaven sits on a mere five acres, but the
property does not feel overwhelmed by animals. The acutely injured and very
young reside in the “hospital” which is the back of her house. She has no idea
how many animals live on her property at any given time, but there are
hundreds. Over 100 are permanent residents. Ducks, geese, and other wading
birds live by the pond. A baby goat, chickens, and other birds hang out in a
large fenced-in area beside the house. Many animals such as her treasured golden
eagle, several owls, older raccoons, foxes, a monitor lizard, and more live in
large enclosures in the back yard. A herd of deer roam the nearby woods. Six
peacocks have free rein of the property. And she single-handedly cares for them
all! She receives no federal or state funding, but relies primarily on
donations from the community.
Calcasieu, the golden eagle. Shoo-shoo, for short.
With the help of several of her permanent residents,
67-year-old Suzy goes on the road locally to festivals and other events,
schools, and the Children’s Museum to educate people about ecology, wildlife, and what to do if you encounter a wild animal. (If it is injured, call Animal
Control or Wildlife and Fisheries. If it appears to be an abandoned baby, it probably
isn’t. The mom is likely nearby, so just leave it alone. If you are certain it is abandoned, call the animal authorities.)
This little guy was brought in by Animal Control while we were there.
Suzy came to Lake Charles from the Dallas area in
1986 and started Heckhaven at that time. She had done some wildlife rehab in
Texas, and according to her mother, Suzy has been “doing this all her life.”
Only God knows how many animals she has helped over the decades, but she says
she takes in approximately 1,000 animals a year.
Great-horned owls. Rather comical. Reminded us of Laurel and Hardy.
Geese finding shade by the pond.
Heckhaven is a 501c non-profit organization and
completely self-supported. Suzy says it is the only wildlife rehab center in
southwest Louisiana. The public is welcome to visit the center, but legally
they must stay behind the fences. She gladly accepts donations of money, feed,
and materials (cage wire, lumber, fencing, roofing, cages and pens). For more
information or to make a donation, call 337-477-6129, email heckhaven@aol.com, or see her website, www.heckhaven.com.
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