Welcome to my new all-wildlife page...
Wild About Wildlife!!!
Yeah, it's corny I know, but do you have a better idea?
What?
Anyway... I volunteer as a Wildlife Rehabilitator at a not-for-profit Wildlife Clinic. This is a place where the public can bring injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife that they find. There are many many volunteers who sacrifice their time, money, and clean clothes to rehabilitate and hopefully release these animals back into the wild. That's where they belong! Some of the animals that we have at the clinic are box turtles, bunnies, squirrels, ducklings, red-tailed hawks, owls, geese, gulls, songbirds, doves, falcons, opossums, and a couple of very cranky swans. The volunteers must feed, medicate, bathe, weigh, and examine the animals in their care. The animals are often less then cooperative, and many volunteers agree that swan-wrestling is an Olympic-caliber sport.
Why?
It started out innocently enough when I raised an orphaned baby sparrow in sixth grade. I became a volunteer a few years later, and from then on I became increasingly involved in this endeavor. I will soon be getting my NYS Wildlife Rehabilitator License; this means I can *legally* keep orphaned opossums in my home. Isn't that just what everyone wants!?!?! I will also be earning my Girl Scout Gold Award by organizing a wildlife education program for younger Girl Scouts.
What Do I Do?
Found a creature that seems to be in need of assistance? Just because you found a baby creature doesn't necessarily mean it needs your help. It's parents may be hiding nearby, waiting for you to leave. If an animal seems injured, theres more of a chance that it needs help. A general rule is if it can run away from you and is hard to catch, it's probably going to be ok. When in doubt, call a rehabber, they will often refer you to a rescue/transport person. Be careful, many animls carry rabies, have sharp teeth or claws, or all of the above. Don't risk your fingers, wear gloves!
If you do find an animal that is definitely in need of assistance, put it in a darkened cardboard box (with air holes!) and bring it to a rehabber (or a vet). If this is not possible, try calling a rehabber and they can give you instructions for emergency care. You can also e-mail me and I will do my best to give you advice.
WWW
Here are some links to wildlife-related pages where you can find more info and fun stuff.
My Ginny the Opossum page: Learn about Ginny the orphaned Virginia Opossum and a little more about Volunteers for Wildlife.
Volunteers for Wildlife's website: Find out even more about the wildlife clinic where I volunteer.
