What a week! I'm up to 62 patients now. Here are some of them.
Cottontail
Little bunny came in one day old, attacked by a cat. He’s growing and thriving!
I feed him two to three times a day with bunny milk replacer.
My second armadillo and a bluebird
This little very young armadillo was found in the woods with two dead siblings. The finder noticed a dead adult on the road nearby. Sadly, this little guy didn’t make it. I guess that when Mama didn’t come back, they exited the den looking for her. I hope I get a healthy baby this year!
The juvenile bluebird hit the window of a bird lover and she got him to me as quickly as possible. He seems to have a fractured clavicle. Although I am licensed for songbirds, it’s not a good time for me to take on any. Little Bluebird was transferred to our friends at Wild Nest Bird Rehab.
Some peaceful sleepers
Exploring and peeking!
Many of the babies are already already on solids, eating kibble and, for instance tonight, sweet potato, scrambled eggs and blueberries. The tiniest ones are still on milk replacer.
Sleep
They catch their naps however they come. Sometimes it’s in a hollow log and sometimes it’s in a little box.
Happy Faces
I never get tired of looking at these sweet faces!
Painted Turtle
I’ll be receiving this turtle on Monday. The finder stopped to help this Painted turtle across the road but, as I have witnessed so many times, by the time we’ve stopped to help the turtle a car has deliberately hit them. The first time that happens you think, “oh, that couldn’t have been on purpose”. But after the fourth or fifth time, when they see us stopped and indicating at the animal in the road, and the vehicle runs directly over the turtle, you start to wonder what’s wrong with people.
She is lucky, sustaining injury to the very back of her shell and some road rash to the top of her shell.
The finder is doing her best to help her by taping the broken shell back on.
She arrives tomorrow to get patched up, medicated and kept safe until she heals and can be returned to her home, or wherever she was headed. It’s egg laying time and she may have been on her way to start a family.
Pre-release
Two sets of 7 opossum juveniles were moved to the pre-release cages. Both are full of climbing and hiding toys, and live enrichment like logs and limbs. I also have tubes, cat trees (I’m always looking for more!) and hammocks.
In pre-release they learn the finer points of being an opossum. How to hide, sneak around, find treats, and appreciate nature in the safety of an enclosure.
Hollow logs are needed as well as interesting limbs for chewing and climbing!!
The adults
I have 6 adults now. Daniel, Sweet Pea, Dumpster Girl, Lilo, Mama and an accidentally trapped girl.
The very scared girl in the first photo accidentally ended up in a trap meant for a cat. She hurt her jaw trying to get out of the trap so she will be on pain medications and antibiotics until she heals. She is VERY unhappy being here.
Lilo is doing ok. She’s elderly, blind, and quiet. She doesn’t seem to mind captivity but it’s not life for a wild animal. I secured a safe place in a 25’x25′ dog pen where she can have more choice of movement and access to wild foods. Her last months can be spent in the perfect situation, living a life she deserves. Captivity might keep them safe and elongate their life, but that goes against my vow to rehab to release. I do not want to euthanize her when she has a chance for some good, safe time on her own.
Dumpster girl was found behind a catering company in their dumpster. Luckily she was found after only a few hours. She’s doing ok, in good condition, but she has an injury to her tail tip so she’s here while she gets antibiotics.
The week in review:
As of this writing I have more animals at once than I’ve ever had! I am managing well. My goal this year was to stop taking in opossums in April so that I could have most of them released or on their way to release. I need to have physical and emotional space for the baby bats that arrive at the end of May and early June. I have been successful, although that means I have been closed (mostly) to intakes for weeks. Only the bunny needs intensive care right now. I have already received two baby bat calls, both from over 3 hours away and were redirected to other rehabbers.
Until then, it’s work to keep the cages clean and the babies fed and entertained. And developing the strength and emotional fortitude for the teeny weeny baby bats on the way.
