Rescued peregrine falcon joins Utah’s first Raptor Rescue Team in new Park City facility

Pippin the Peregrine falcon on a perch in the new falcon enclosure. Photo: Heather Bergeson // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — Tucked behind the historic Wallin Barn, a sleek new raptor enclosure houses Pippin—a peregrine falcon in the process of being trained and on a mission to teach the public about wildlife conservation.

Pippin was rescued from the illegal wildlife trade after being confiscated at a Florida airport, and he is now training to become a wildlife ambassador. Wildlife ambassadors are animals that cannot be released back into the wild, but they can serve as representatives of their species to educate the community about conservation. 

Jody Giddings, founder and CEO of Wasatch Wildlife, is working with her team to train Pippin to eventually go on visits to local programs and schools. “He’s already hunting in the enclosure, and we didn’t expect that,” said Giddings. “He hides behind a perch and waits. He’s smart.”

Wasatch Wildlife is the first Raptor Rescue Team in Utah. Its team provides rescue and transport services to the Raptor Hospital and works with local fire departments, tree companies, construction companies and concerned citizens to rescue birds of prey and reunite young raptors with their families through renesting. So far this year, they have rescued and reunited 88 raptors. 

When the enclosure, which was finished in May, is needed for a new patient, Pippin will be moved to a different area while the bird rehabilitates. The enclosure is meant to be a holding area where Giddings and her team can observe whether or not the bird can get up to the perch, how long they can fly around, and what their flight pattern looks like. After treatment, the goal is to release as many birds as they can back into the wild. 

Volunteers to the rescue

Giddings and her team often receive an influx of wildlife calls during the spring and summer when encounters are more common, and many of those calls are related to birds of prey. “Almost all of our calls are because of human interaction—construction, window strikes, car hits,” said Giddings. New development especially has created an issue for wildlife as their livable habitat dwindles, according to Giddings. “The animals just don’t have anywhere to go.”

When someone calls Wasatch Wildlife, the first step is evaluating the situation. If action is needed, Giddings arranges for the animal to be brought to them or picked up by one of their volunteer staff. “We’re the only wildlife rehab in the state that does transport,” she said. “If people can’t bring animals to us, we go to them.”

Currently, Giddings is searching for a permanent home in Park City. “Right now, we’re bouncing between properties, and it’s not sustainable.” Ideally, Giddings hopes for a nature center where people could visit, learn, and see the birds being trained. It would also house all their wildlife enclosures and hospital facilities in one spot.

Wasatch Wildlife is currently partnered with the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, who own Wallin Barn.It is also working with Utah State University’s vet school to eventually set up an internship program, but would need more infrastructure first, according to Giddings. 

Because Wasatch Wildlife is completely non-profit, they depend on volunteers and donations to keep their facilities and services running smoothly. Giddings is currently holding a fundraiser to raise money for food for raptor patients, and donors can even choose to sponsor Pippin the Peregrine. Learn more at wasatchwildlife.org.