Raptor Center fights to recover after ‘Aspen Acres’ fire destroys Horseshoe Lodge
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Raptor Center of Pueblo faces severe financial challenges after the Horseshoe Lodge was destroyed by the "Aspen Acres" fire, jeopardizing the funding for the Raptor Center.
Ash the owl, rescued from the blaze, has become a symbol of hope for the center, which relies on event fees for its operations.
Ash gained popularity on social media after being rescued from the "Aspen Acres" fire. Autumn Waylan, rehabilitation manager at The Raptor Center of Pueblo, said Ash was brought to them by the Beulah Fire Department.
“They were out by a fire line and found him on the ground. I couldn't tell you how they spotted him because he's so small," Waylan said.
Sarah Eitel, program coordinator at The Raptor Center of Pueblo, explained the financial strain. The center drew its funds from special events at the Horseshoe Lodge, such as weddings.
“Like everyone else, we were kind of struggling already,” Eitel said. “So to lose a whole campus is... it's just been devastating. And thankfully, we've been able to keep all of our staff on so far. But if we aren't able to find a way to replace that funding, we don't really know what the future looks like.”
Without replacement funding, the future for the center and its animals could become dire. Eitel stated that some animals would face euthanasia, as they cannot return to the wild.
The center provides vital outdoor education programs for children, which would also be in jeopardy. Despite the challenges, Eitel added that Ash has become an important beacon of optimism for the staff.
“Ash has kind of become a symbol of hope for all of us,” Eitel said.
The fire also had a significant personal impact on the center's employees, with roughly half the staff losing their homes. Maddie Calvert, a staff member who lost her home in the fire, acknowledged the overwhelming nature of the situation.
“It's a lot,” Calvert said. “It's honestly still more than a lot of us can comprehend, I think. So we're just taking it day by day.”
Calvert expressed gratitude for the continued existence of the organization.
“I'm grateful that I still have this organization here to continue carrying out the work we do, because clearly it's needed now more than ever,” Calvert said.
The Raptor Center is still holding popular events such as "Yoga on the River." It will also host International Vulture Day in September. The hope is that they will be able to recover some lost funds from those events.
If you would like to support the Raptor Center of Pueblo, you can click here.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
