The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, commonly known as CROW, announced that its founder, Shirley Walter, has died.
The CROW clinic came to be after Walter came across two injured royal terns on the Sanibel Causeway back in 1968.
She described that fateful day in a https://youtu.be/ablykXJn5L4">Youtube video on the CROW website.
“They both had wing injuries although they weren’t broken,” Walter said. “I picked them up and took them home.”
In the video, Walter said she was moved to open an animal rehabilitation center on Sanibel after realizing there were no wildlife treatment centers close by.
“You know, 90% or better of these injuries are caused by man, therefore, man needs to be the one to take care of them,” Walter said.
Since 1968, the CROW clinic has grown to include a steady army of volunteers, a full veterinary staff, and an education center.
Walters was 84 years old.
