Located in picturesque Spencer, Ohio, the Medina Raptor Center was established in 1990 to aid the increasing numbers of raptors, waterfowl and songbirds injured by urban sprawl and the intrusion of humans. Treating over 350 birds each year, with over 40 holding and therapy cages and six large flight cages, MRC is now one of Ohio's leading raptor rehabilitation facilities. Seventy-five percent of these rehabilitated birds can return to their natural habitat.
Wildlife rehabilitators are licensed in the state of Ohio through the Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division. There are two levels of training - Categories I and II, and even after training is complete certain conditions must be met before a rehabilitation center can be opened. Regulation housing and veterinary assistance are the two most important criteria. Only after these conditions are met is a permit for rehabilitation granted. MRC received permits to care for Endangered Species in 1996 and attained tax-exempt status in 1999.
With close ties to the Minnesota Raptor Center, MRC is a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and the Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. MRC works closely with State and Federal officials ands supports other facilities by offering further rehabilitation and flight work as cages become available.
MRC offers educational programs to schools, conservation groups, 4H Clubs, Scouts and Audubon Societies as well as many other organizations. They charge a fee for these programs which are usually done off site, allowing them to continue to give the birds in their care the best medical treatment possible. MRC has eight educational birds on staff. These birds have permanent injuries and, therefore, cannot be released into the wild. They act to educate the public about their importance in our ecosystem.
| Red-Tail Hawk | Turkey Vulture |
| Eastern Screech Owl | A Barred Owl |
| Peregrine Falcon | American Kestrel (display only) |
| Great Horned Owl | Barn Owl (display only) |
Please contact Laura Jordan at the center for more information concerning educational programs.
Tours of the facility can be arranged only at certain times of the year. MRC is a private rehabilitation facility and the cages are designed for the birds they protect, not for viewing by the general public. Cages are gradually being screened in to protect the birds from West Nile Virus.
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