One day Dennis Miller got a call about a hurt eagle.
He said the caller had inadvertently hit the raptor but could not stay as he was late for work. But though the caller put a towel on the fence so Miller could find the bird of prey, when he arrived the bird appeared lost.
“I saw a migrating group of ravens. I said, ‘You guys can see better than I can.’ I said a little prayer. The lead bird dropped down, the whole group followed him. One dropped almost to the ground and back up real quick. I made a mark and sure enough, there he was between some bushes,” Miller recalled.
That’s only one story among many Miller can tell about his 46 years of rehabilitating wild animals in southwest New Mexico. Miller got his start when, as a young biology teacher at Silver City High School, he volunteered to help feed baby deer. Now he and his wife, Denise, run a nonprofit called Gila Wildlife Rescue and drive across southwestern New Mexico rehabilitating mostly birds of prey but also bear, mountain lion and bobcats, among other wild animals.
The Millers have written a book about their experiences. The book, “Keeping Them Wild: Four Decades of Wildlife Rehabilitation with Gila Wildlife Rescue,” is filled with photos, QR codes for access to online videos and stories of the many adventures Dennis and Denise experienced.
The book is also a love story.
Miller credits his wife of 24 years, by saying he “couldn’t have done this without her.”
But their work is more than a labor of love. It’s also helping the natural ecology of the area.
Miller said that the loss of just one redtail hawk can mean 1.46 million mice in the ecosystem. Lt. Governor Howie Morales praised the book and thanked the Millers for their wildlife management work. He called it an “exemplary model for collaborative wildlife management,” in a letter Miller shared with the Bulletin.
Miller said he and his wife work hard to keep the animals they rehabilitate wild. That means they do not rely on volunteers nor are they open to the public. Respecting the animals’ wildness helps ensure the animals’ survival.
But do the deer, mountain lions or birds of prey show appreciation for being rehabilitated by humans? Miller said most birds of prey, when released, simply fly off but there are some that circle back and fly over Dennis and Denise before flying away.
“I don’t know if they’re checking us out or saying thank you,” Miller said.
He said other animals have stopped and looked back at them before running off.
The book may be another kind of love story.
Miller said that when he found that injured eagle that day with the help of the migrating ravens, the eagle’s chest had been torn open due to its collision with a truck. As Miller carried the hurt bird, another eagle screamed at him from above.
Dennis and Denise placed the injured bird of prey into a box and rushed it to the local airport, expecting to ship it to Española for surgery. But the ticket agent told them the plane was full and there was no room in freight.
“A businessman overhead us converse. He said, ‘If we can strap that box to a seat, I’ll give up my seat.’ Everyone in the whole room started clapping. It flew to Albuquerque strapped in a seat next to a passenger,” Miller said.
The bird made it to surgery and recovered.
And a month later, when the Millers returned to the spot where they’d recovered the bird, they released him. Another eagle, perhaps the one who had screamed at Miller when he rescued the hurt raptor, was still there waiting.
“They grasped talons and flew off,” Miller said.
