Credits: Houston SPCA Facebook Page
In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the Houston SPCA has been inundated with more than 1,800 injured or orphaned wild animals from the region. The storm, which severely impacted Southeast Texas, led to an unprecedented surge in the number of animals needing rescue and rehabilitation.
Typically, the Houston SPCA receives around 40 to 50 animals daily. However, the day after Beryl made landfall, the organization took in over 700 animals within 24 hours. Even more than a week later, the influx of animals has continued unabated.
Among the animals being rehabilitated are nearly 350 egrets, a species significantly affected by the storm. Sharon Schmalz, the Houston SPCA’s wildlife center administrator and former executive director, shared the challenges faced by the team in an interview with Texas Standard.
“A lot of cattle egrets… It was a rookery where they had been nesting, and they were just devastated,” Schmalz said. “When we got there on the scene, it was just so sad to see that many, many hundreds were dead. We actually collected about 350 of them and brought them back to our campus to start giving them, you know, fluids and stuff. So, it was quite traumatic.”
In addition to the egrets, the SPCA has taken in 233 Mississippi kites, mourning doves, squirrels, songbirds, and other species such as yellow-crowned night herons. The largest populations rescued were the cattle egrets and Mississippi kites.
Brooke Yahney, Director of the Houston SPCA Wildlife Center, highlighted the ongoing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate these animals. “Last week, as Beryl was just beginning to push out of the area, she and her team were in northwest Houston rescuing hundreds of baby egrets that had been blown out of their trees by Beryl’s winds in the middle of their busy nesting season,” Yahney said. “They would not have made it on their own.”
The center’s daily intake continued to exceed normal levels, with over 700 animals arriving in 24 hours immediately following the storm, and more than 300 the next day. “There’s animals coming in now that have been alone now for a week on the ground. They’re not in great condition, unfortunately,” Yahney added.
The SPCA’s goal is to stabilize these animals and prepare them to thrive on their own in the wild, though the process can take months. Many animals have been transferred to other facilities across the state to accommodate the ongoing influx.
Yahney expressed gratitude for the community’s support. “We’re grateful that Houston’s population were compassionate enough to pick up the animals and bring them in,” she said. “We’ve made it through with the help of a lot of our volunteers. Anything they’re willing to give will be good for us.”
As the Houston SPCA braces for a long hurricane season ahead, they continue to rely on the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of the public to care for the many animals affected by Hurricane Beryl.
