The Osprey Stuck at the Top of a Cell Tower in South Elgin

Social media can be exhausting.

The endless ads, clickbait and fake content are enough to make anyone want to put their phone down for good.

But the other day, I came across a story from Kane Area Rehabilitation and Education for Wildlife (K.A.R.E. for Wildlife), a nonprofit wildlife rescue organization in St. Charles that cares for injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals. Judging by its more than 14,000 Facebook followers, I'm clearly not the only one who enjoys seeing the incredible work they do.

Their post described something I can confidently say I hope never appears on my work calendar.

A cell tower company called after spotting a bird dangling by one leg from the top of a cell tower in South Elgin. The osprey had become tangled in netting hundreds of feet above the ground, hanging upside down. From below, rescuers weren't even sure it was alive. Then, as they watched through binoculars, it suddenly flapped its wings.

Within an hour, a rescue team climbed the tower with one of KARE's collapsible crates. Everyone waited anxiously for word from the top. Then came the message over the radio: "It's still alive!"

​The bird turned out to be the male of a nesting pair. Miraculously, despite its ordeal, it suffered no fractures—only cuts and wounds. Today, it's in K.A.R.E.'s care, getting the treatment it needs thanks to quick-thinking workers, skilled rescuers, and someone who simply noticed a bird in trouble.

As I scrolled through K.A.R.E.'s Facebook page, I realized this dramatic rescue wasn't unusual for them. Their posts tell the stories of a pregnant opossum rescued from a bridge, a young owl tangled in a soccer net, red foxes being treated for mange from the Geneva area, countless baby bunnies, orphaned raccoons, and fawns, and even a massive snapping turtle whose shell had been sheared off. Somehow, they take on these remarkable cases day after day, giving injured wildlife a second chance.

​It’s a reminder that extraordinary things are happening all around us, often thanks to people quietly doing remarkable work right here in Kane County. From helping wildlife in unexpected situations to stepping up when our community needs them, these are the stories that make a place special.  

And it also reminded me that no matter how busy my day gets, it’s probably not going to involve coordinating an osprey rescue from the top of a cell tower.

Learn more about  Kane Area Rehabilitation and Education for Wildlife at https://www.facebook.com/KAREforWildlife/