greenliving Help for Injured Wildlife


Caring Rehab Gives Them a Second Chance by Sandra Murphy


Center of Venice, serves Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Its five acres offers hutches, barns, habitats for squirrels and raccoons, an aviary and a pond for waterfowl. In 2015, volunteers rescued eight striped skunks. Because these mammals are slow and have poor eyesight, wide roads are especially hazardous as they move through diminishing habitat. Skunks eat insects, grubs, rodents, moles and snakes. Paul and Gloria Halesworth spe-


cialize in hummingbirds at Wild Wing Rehab Hummers & Songbirds, in Ahwatukee, Arizona. “Hummingbird babies require a special formula we import from Europe. A body tempera- ture of 105 degrees causes casual rescuers to think they’re overheated. They pant like dogs if too hot; other- wise, they’re okay,” Paul says. If a nest is found on the ground, reaffix it in a tree. “Duct tape works,” he notes. “Mom will find them.” Released birds are taken to the Desert Botanical Garden, in Phoenix. Rehabbing owls costs significantly


more, up to $800 from hatchling to release. The Halesworths refer owls to another rehabber that annually cares for about 500 owls. In Fort Gratiot, Michigan, Back 2 the


S


eeing lost, injured or orphaned animals is heartbreaking, but unless a wild animal is in


immediate danger from prey or traffic, it’s best to wait and observe. Mothers forage for food and return to the babies intermittently. If in doubt, call a wildlife rehabber for advice. “Rehabilitators are trained, tested,


licensed, take continuing education courses and file annual reports. All care provided must meet government standards,” explains wildlife rehabilita- tor Regina Whitman, of Queen Creek, Arizona, via her Desert Cry Wildlife website. She rehabs rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, baby javelina and coyote pups. The Dan & Dianne May Wildlife


Rehabilitation Center at Lee’s-McRae College, in Banner Elk, North Carolina,


46 NA Triangle www.natriangle.com


is the only college program in the U.S. that allows students to work hands-on with veterinarians in the rehab center. “We see native species of reptiles, raptors, songbirds and mammals like eastern gray squirrels,” says Jenna Glaski, a program senior mentor. “When fawns and bobcats are orphaned, it’s usually because the mother has been hit by a car or shot.” In the Georgetown area, South


Carolina Coastal Animal Rescue and Educational Sanctuary (SC-CARES) rehabbers care for injured wildlife and other animals. Miss Belle—a doe that was trapped in fencing and temporarily paralyzed trying to get free—received physical therapy and is expected to make a full recovery. Founded in 2004 by Kevin Barton and Linda Schrader, the Wildlife


Wild Rehab rescues all kinds of wild animals. In February, two geese were stuck in a frozen river. Firefighters freed the birds and rehabbers checked them for frostbite. One goose died, but the other was released after the next storm passed through. The Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary,


near McCall, Idaho, accepts orphaned bear cubs. Tapping into three decades of research reported by program super- visor Jeff Rohlman, they are vetted and put into a two-acre enclosure to learn to live in the wild until they are old enough for release. Most arrive undernourished and dehydrated; if separated from their mother, they don’t know how to feed themselves or when to hibernate. Dreamcatcher Wild Horse & Burro


Sanctuary, in Ravendale, California, doesn’t release rehabbed guests—it provides a lifetime home to roam 1,000 acres in family packs to find their own


Margaret M Stewart/Shutterstock.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56