The Raptor Trust — Attraction in Long Hill Township

I was down the street at the Great Swamp on Labor Day with my Honorary Young Pup Chum, who was literally clutching Beta the Raptor throughout our journey (big, big Jurassic Park franchise fan). The Raptor Trust seemed like a natural fit for a visit prior to lunch, though I think I did have to temper expectations a bit and explain velociraptors were unlikely to make an appearance. Even without those intelligent beasts that often attack from the side, the birds on hand were worth the trip.

I'd been to the Raptor Trust one other time a few years prior, also with an Honorary Young Pup Chum. The target demo seems to be around 7 or 8; there's admittedly not a lot of bells and whistles to the proceedings (which I think makes for a tougher sell if the pups are younger and probably unfairly comparing this to a zoo), but it's not that kind of place - they're housing injured birds and generously giving us an opportunity to visit them. That's it. And that's fine.

We showed up around midday and there was a decent smattering of visitors already there. The parking situation is solid; there's an unpaved lot to the side, about a two-minute walk from the actual sanctuary and there were more than enough spots to choose from. There WAS a sign indicating with an arrow that a chunk of spots were reserved for employees, and because there wasn't a sign in each designated space, we saw multiple cars initially attempt to park in one of them and then belatedly have to back out - I would make this more obvious (maybe put a sign in each spot?) to minimize the parking lot traffic, especially with young pups around.

After a very short walk, we found the unofficial entrance and donation box, and made our way around. You're not going to find any over-the-top, fancy kiosks with maps, but this is overall a very small area to navigate, all things considered; it shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes to see all of the enclosures and get a legit peek at each bird. Again, this isn't a zoo so if you're looking for edgy flamingoes or a mongoose (my all-time favorite animal), you're going to be disappointed. Quite a few of the birds are "mainstream"; there were a few owls and falcons, which you could definitely end up seeing in normal day-to-day life. My personal favorite was the bald eagle enclosure; I grew up in the 90s, when we were repeatedly told that bald eagles were on the brink of extinction, which isn't the case anymore but it always feels a little exciting to see them no matter the circumstances. The raven was pretty cool too; always pleasing to be able to make a legit Edgar Allen Poe reference. It was bigger than I thought it would be; I was picturing a bird the size of a sparrow but he was a big guy.

There's also a cute little gift shop that we spent some time in that had a solid variety of items available for purchase. I considered buying one of the handmade birdhouses (very elaborate, very cool) for one of my chums but didn't pull the trigger. It was a little tough to get some assistance there; the counter had a button or something to notify the employees but no one came. We had to roll up our sleeves and actually push another button outside to get someone to help, but that's a mild quibble.

This isn't Turtleback; I know people who can legit go there on a weekly basis for a month or two. This is probably a place you'd visit once a year. But it was pleasant and they're doing a good thing. Very clean and...

I think it's wonderful that there is an opportunity for wild birds to be rehabilitated and returned back to nature

I don't think the birds are happy. they look very depressed and quite miserable. they're in very small cages with fake Christmas trees. it's absolutely ridiculous.

I understand the desire to save a creature, but if the creature is not able to return to its natural habitat, it should not be kept in a cage for the rest of its life you have to think about what comes naturally to these predatory birds and sitting on a man-made perch all day, everyday is just not what God intended. and then to make matters worse. the animals are surrounded by a forest so they can see it. they just can't get to it. I fully understand some of these animals would perish in the wild, but that is the cycle of life. we can't change that.

our hearts broke for these poor animals. when the eagle outstretched its wing, it literally was making the most horrendous sound. I truly think the bird is in pain

I thank everyone who works there because I know they're coming from a good place but I just don't think the animals deserve...

Great organization. Free education. What's not to love? I go here with my partner sometimes because it is a fun outdoor thing to do and it is free, though they recomend bringing a small donation to support them. I think they recomend $2, but it's not required if you can't pay. The grounds are very flat so it's very accessible. The birds are very beautiful and I learned a lot about raptors while I was there. I think it would be a good place to bring your kids, but you have to keep an eye on them to make sure that they don't run or shout cuz this could be distressing to the birds. I've never brought an injured bird there so I do not know what that experience is like though I've talked to some people who have done that. I know TRT will reject invasive bird species which a lot of people were frustrated by, but I understand why they do this. Most of the injured birds get released back into the wild. The ones they have for visitors to see were not able to be released. I included some photos, but it's hard to get good pictures of the birds because of the ways their enclosures are fenced off, but I believe this is for...