INSIDE THE RAPTOR HOSPITAL
Wildlife rehabilitators are highly trained individuals dedicated to returning injured and orphaned wild animals to their natural lives. While rehabilitators are not required to be veterinarians, they must work closely with licensed veterinarians whenever an animal’s condition requires advanced medical care.
Winged Freedom is unique in that our founder and permitted wildlife rehabilitator, Dr. Kim Ammann, is also an avian veterinarian with more than 25 years of experience treating birds. Every raptor admitted to our hospital receives a veterinary examination upon arrival, and all medical care is overseen daily by our veterinarians. Many people are surprised to learn that the birds in our care undergo complex medical treatment right here on site, including fracture repair, poisoning treatment, and other advanced procedures.
Diagnostic imaging is a critical part of the intake process. Most birds receive X-rays upon admission to identify fractures and internal injuries. These images are evaluated immediately, allowing our veterinarian to develop a customized surgical or medical treatment plan tailored to each patient’s needs.
ADVANCED MEDICAL & SURGICAL CARE
Many fractures are repaired using specialized orthopedic techniques designed specifically for birds. For example, this Bald Eagle was admitted with a severe fracture that required a highly technical surgery to realign the bone and stabilize it during healing. After several weeks, the surgical pins were removed, and the eagle began a gradual rehabilitation process. Our large eagle reconditioning flyway allowed him to exercise daily until he regained the strength and flight ability needed for release back into the wild.
TREATING TOXINS & TRAUMA
All Bald Eagles and many other raptors admitted to Winged Freedom are tested for lead exposure. Lead can enter a bird’s system through ingestion of contaminated prey or scavenged remains, originating from ammunition fragments or fishing equipment. Lead poisoning can cause severe neurological damage and is often fatal without treatment. While not every bird can be saved, we provide aggressive medical care for those that are stable enough to respond to treatment.
Our medical team also treats an extraordinary range of injuries and illnesses, including:
Gunshot wounds and bullet removal
Traumatic injuries from vehicle collisions, including head trauma and multiple limb fractures
Infectious diseases such as West Nile Virus, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and Trichomoniasis
Unusual injuries, including impalements, embedded foreign objects, and porcupine quills
Each day brings new challenges and requires careful evaluation, experience, and sound veterinary judgment. Our goal is always the same: to provide each bird with the best possible chance at recovery while preserving the behaviors and skills needed to survive in the wild.
KERE’S STORY
KERE’S STORY: INOVATION, RESILIANCE, AND HOPE
This is the true story of an extraordinary Bald Eagle named Kere, whose life was saved through the innovative use of cod fish skin to heal a devastating wound. This treatment marked the first known use of this product on an eagle, made possible through collaboration between Winged Freedom’s veterinarian, Dr. Kim Ammann, and a specialized skin graft company.
On September 2, 2024, an adult female Bald Eagle was found injured in Hayward, Wisconsin. When she arrived at Winged Freedom, she was severely underweight, dehydrated, and suffering from a large, deeply infected wound on one leg. The injury was so extensive that it was life-threatening, and her prognosis was grim. However, there was one critical sign of hope: despite the severity of the wound, Kere still had full use of her foot. All of her toes were functional, giving her a chance at recovery.
For the next three weeks, the wound was carefully unbandaged, treated, and rebandaged every day to bring the infection under control. Because the injury was too large to be closed using Kere’s own skin, alternative treatment options were explored. That search led Dr. Ammann to Kerecis, a company based in Iceland that repurposes fish skin from the cod industry into medical-grade skin grafts. This product has been successfully used in human medicine to treat extensive wounds, burns, and surgical skin loss by dramatically improving healing time.
Dr. Ammann and Kerecis collaborated to create a treatment plan for Kere that included multiple applications of the cod skin graft material. Slowly but remarkably, the wound began to heal. Over the following months, the damaged area shrank as new skin filled in at an astonishing rate. After five months, the once-open wound had fully closed, leaving only a small scar—and even a few new feathers—on her leg.
Using fish skin to save a fish-eating bird may sound surprising, and it truly was remarkable. But according to Dr. Ammann, the most extraordinary part of Kere’s story was Kere herself. She endured five months of captivity in a windowless room, daily treatments, and the loss of an entire winter in the wild with extraordinary calm and resilience. She never removed her bandage and tolerated every treatment with quiet acceptance. As long as she could watch, she would lie on her back while Dr. Ammann cleaned and rebandaged her wound—no struggling, no biting, and no resistance.
On June 22, 2025, Kere was released back into the wild, with two television stations capturing the moment. As she took flight, she flew directly toward and over Dr. Ammann, soaring upward in a powerful arc that was captured in one of the most memorable photographs of the day. Kere’s story received national attention, with coverage from Newsweek, The Guardian, and The Milwaukee Sentinel.
Since Kere’s recovery, other raptors have benefited from cod skin graft treatment, and veterinarians across the country are beginning to use this technique with their own patients. What began as a bold effort to save one eagle has helped pave the way for new treatment options that will save many more birds. One brave Bald Eagle—and one small hospital—helped change what is possible in raptor medicine.
Kere’s remarkable recovery was also featured in a short video produced by Kerecis, highlighting this groundbreaking collaboration. You can watch their story here.
Releasing Kere back into the wild was a bittersweet moment—celebrating her recovery while saying goodbye to a bird who had touched so many hearts along the way.
