While visiting Great Bend’s Brit Spaugh Zoo, Sen. Pat Roberts patted a spotted leopard, unconscious on the exam table, and spoke to it in an assuring tone. “You’re going to be fine, Toby, I promise,” he said. “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”
Toby, the zoo’s male leopard, was fine; he was just in for his annual physical, which happened to coincide with Roberts’ visit. All kidding aside, Roberts has indeed helped Great Bend’s zoo, City Administrator Howard Partington said. The senator helped secure a $645,000 federal grant that was used to build the Great Bend Raptor Center, which opened in 2009.
The Raptor Center serves as the main entrance to Brit Spaugh Zoo, and houses the exam room, with a window so the public can watch as veterinarians perform physicals on dozens of animals. Sometimes a visitor can even join the vets and the sedated animals on the other side of the glass, as Roberts did Wednesday afternoon.
Behind the scenes is the raptor rehabilitation area, where injured birds of prey are nursed back to health and released into the wild again, if possible. Zoo Director Scott Gregory showed Roberts a female bald eagle that is seriously ill.
“We were very happy to play a part in (funding the Raptor Center),” Roberts said. “It was a real success.” Great Bend’s is one of a handful of federally funded raptor rehabilitation centers. Roberts noted that while others have a recovery rate around 15 percent, over 50 percent of the birds treated here recover. “So they’re doing it right.”
Earlier in the day, Roberts toured the Fuller Brush plant and then met with members of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development. “It’s always good to come back home, and it’s good to see fresh faces,” the senator said, noting people asked him questions about over-regulation, Obamacare and the $17 trillion national debt.
“I know people are terribly upset about the direction – or lack of direction – in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “But we’ve been through tough times before. We’re going to get through this; we’re going to be fine.”
Roberts posed with Mayor Mike Allison, City Administrator Partington and others in front of the zoo, where a new sign has been added. It reads, “The City of Great Bend wishes to express its sincere appreciation to Senator Pat Roberts for his assistance in making the Great Bend Raptor Center a reality.”
“We just want to thank you for your assistance and always thinking about Great Bend,” Partington said, noting that Sen. Roberts was also instrumental in supporting the city’s flood control project.
“This center is impressive,” Roberts said. “I feel very fortunate we were able to do this at a time when Washington could get things done. This is far and beyond what I ever expected.”
