Wildlife in our care ... follow their stories.
Our FIRST Hawk Rescue!!
The highlight of our weekend! Stunning Red Shoulder Hawk that was trapped in a screened gazebo for 5 days, unable to find the open door.
We got him!!! Check out that STARE 😳 and the open mouth. That is a defensive posture and a stress response. Dehydrated, a small wing tip fracture and some skin lacerations from banging into walls and furniture. Receiving medical treatment at Tufts Wildlife Center.
Looking forward to releasing him back to his home soon! 🥰
Of note: Once he grabbed onto my glove with those impressive talons, we had to lift each toe one at a time. Indescribable strength on this raptor!!!
5 baby opossums back to freedom!!
These babies came to us late July after their mom was hit by a car and died. A very kind human took the time to look and found 10 babies in her pouch. Alive but in critical condition and in need of a lot of hands on support. The litter was split and Return2Wild was sent 5 of these babies to care for and raise for the next 3 months. We are happy to report all TEN survived. The most incredible animals. So thrilled to release them back to the wild. A second chance indeed!
Cat Attack!
Young adult Eastern Cottontail found in the claws and mouth of a wandering cat. Domestic cat bites are lethal to wildlife. Cats have toxic bacteria in their mouth including one called 'pasturella'.
This beauty is receiving antibiotics and pain medicine for tendon damage to her back leg. Fingers crossed and lots of prayers 🙏 as most bunnies cannot survive this situation. We never give up and are doing our very best to keep this sweety comfortable.
Sometimes a comfortable end is the best outcome.
And that is important too. ❤️
Rodenticide Poisoning 😢
"I was catching rats because that's what I do, but someone poisoned my food. I got very sick, very fast. Please don't put out rat poison."
This beautiful weasel (aka: stoat) found in a parking lot by a caring soul, sadly did not make it 😣.
Poisoning rodents poisons the entire food chain. Had this weasel not been scooped up by a caring person, eventually an eagle or hawk or fox would have picked up the weasel, and
they would have died too.
Please never use rat poison 🙏. It kills so much more than the rate. Snap traps used indoors
are a humane alternative. If you then place the (Unpoisoned) dead rodent outside your home, a natural predator will pick it up ... AND they will come back for more! Now you have your very own Natural Rodent Control 😊
Willow's Return2Wild!!
And off she goes!!
'Willow' the sweet little opossum girl that came in just before Thanksgiving with some very ugly wounds on her leg and mouth is all healed up (and a bit chunkier 😳 ... she kind of eats like a horse!) and is ready for her second chance at opossum life ❤️.
Thank you to Steve and Stacey of Norfolk, who noticed she was injured and initiated her rescue. Without the efforts of these wonderful people, she would have very likely suffered in silence. You guys are now official wildlife rescuers! 🥰
Who wouldn't love that face!?!
Arriving via Norfolk ACO Hilary Cohen after a call by a concerned and kind resident who saw her limping and curling up in a ball, this sweet girl (adult Virginia Opossum), had multiple open wounds on her back leg, perhaps a predator attack or trying to squeeze under a fence, she was immediately brought into rehab for some much needed support. Along with the assistance our Millis/Medway ACO & licensed WLR Erin Mallette, we gave her a full exam, cleaned and bandaged her wounds (with a stylish red bandage of course!), provided pain relief, a nutritious dinner and a warm, cozy bed! She's a happy girl 😊 .... and we named her 'Willow'.
Once we see some good healing and solid mobility (fingers crossed!), she can go back to her home in the woods & 'hoods of Norfolk.
Did you know? ... Opossums are integral to the health of our community. They eat thousands of ticks, clean up road kill, and they are largely immune to rabies. Treat them kindly - we're lucky to have them around!
Abandoned Baby Chipmunk
About the size of my thumb! This baby girl was found alone at night on a stone wall, shivering, and weak. She was warmed up, rehydrated and is taking her formula like a champ, and doing her best to nip at our fingers every chance she gets! Tiny but very feisty! Can those little hands get any cuter?!?
Did you know? .... Baby chipmunks stay in their underground den with their mom until they are ready to thrive on their own. When a baby is out of its nest, it is in trouble (like this 15 gram munchkin), it definitely needed help. Thank you to the dad and his two little girls who brought her to me. They named her 'Chippy' ... of course 😉
Making a Difference ...
Pouch full of Opossums
Alone, hungry ... not for long!
Pouch full of Opossums
ACO & WLR Erin Mallette, rescued these babies after momma opossum was hit by a car. In her pouch - 12 tiny eyes-closed babies 🥺. She immediately brought them into care. Erin and I administered subcutaneous fluids to these significantly dehydrated infants (i.e., injecting sterile fluid under their skin). Erin nurtured these amazing little cuties keeping them warm, clean, and fed until she released them to their forever home in the wild!
Working and learning together as WLRs, ACOs, and a caring community, is what gives wildlife the second chance they deserve!
Triple Fuzzbutts
Alone, hungry ... not for long!
Pouch full of Opossums
Working alongside expert rehabbers is key to learning and successful outcomes, especially for super-fragile Eastern Cottontails. Mentor WLR, Sam Beyer (Fb: Of Land & Sky Wildlife Rehab), gave these adorable puff balls a healthy foundation for their eventual life of freedom. They came into care after momma was killed by a dog. Two did not survive but three were brought into rehab with eyes still closed, and barely furred. They required round-the-clock heat, a quiet, stress-free environment, and a specialized formula for their ultra-sensitive gut. Each one was gently 'burrito'd' in a warm fleece twice daily, and nursed with a syringe and nipple until they could eat on their own. After 6 weeks of professional TLC, they hopped happily into the woods! 🐰
Alone, hungry ... not for long!
Alone, hungry ... not for long!
Alone, hungry ... not for long!
Alone on a road with no trees, no mom, no home in site, and too tiny to survive on his own. Found by young children and rescued by a caring mom who brought this baby to rehab. He was stabilized and eventually put with a new friend to learn from, and be released with.
Most baby animals do much better when they have a conspecific (animal of same species) to learn and develop with. As much as we all may want to cuddle these babies, habituation to humans is not a good thing and is very often the cause of their demise after release. Our goal as WLRs is keeping wild animals wild! .... And when they are this cute, it isn't easy! ❤️