Squirrels, squirrels everywhere...

Baby season has begun and as always, first come the squirrels. Please, don't cut down trees this time of year if you can avoid it, it is likely that there is a nest of baby squirrels high in the tree. And if you do find baby squirrels beside a tree, please leave them there for the mother to retrieve. You can put them in a small box with a hot water bottle or fill a sock with dry rice and microwave for 5 minutes and put inside a shallow box for warmth with a soft cloth.

Happy Easter!

Each and every day the pace picks up at WIC. More and more calls have been coming in every day about baby wild animals in distress. Our goal is to reunite these babies whenever possible with their parents. Please spread the word that this is NOT the time of year to be cutting down trees. And when doing "yard work" please be aware of all the babies that may be present in rock walls, brush piles, old sheds, gardens, trees, bushes and even wreaths left on doors. Please be aware that babies are everywhere this time of year, sometimes where you least expect to see the. The baby screech owl was found on a busy road and brought to WIC by a kind passerby who rescued the owl before he was crushed by cars, no parents or nest could be found in the area. And the eggs were brought to us by a homeowner who had cut down a hollow tree and found them inside, miraculously unbroken. Unfortunately, the mother never returned to the makeshift nest constructed. These are woodduck eggs that are in one of our many incubators at WIC. Happy Easter everyone!

Wildlife in Crisis prepares for baby season

The babies are coming soon! Our summer interns will be arriving to help us care for the thousands of orphaned babies headed our way. It is our hope that people will be tolerant of wildlife in their midst. We can reduce the numbers of injured and orphaned wildlife by taking a few simple steps.

1. Supervise pets: Unsupervised pets maim and kill countless wild animals. Many of the animals we receive at WIC are the result of a dog or cat attack. Please keep cats indoors, it is safer for your cats as well as vulnerable wildlife.
2. Leave trees standing: Trees provide us with clean air, shade and natural beauty. Trees also prevent erosion and flooding in many areas. Trees provide homes and nutrition to wild animals of all shapes and sizes. Many species of birds and mammals nest in the hollows of trees or make their nest in the tree canopy. Acorns and other seeds and nuts produced by mature trees provide year-round nutrition to countless wild species. Even so-called "dead" trees or snags provide shelter and nourishment. Spring and summer months are a particularly bad time to be cutting down trees, since there are likely to be mothers with babies hidden in them. Instead of cutting down whole trees, try just trimming branches that overhang your house.
3. Watch for wildlife when driving. When you see one animal cross the road, chances are there are more to follow. During rainstorms there will be many frogs in the road near wetlands and waterways.
4. Be aware when gardening or clearing land that there are probably salamanders and other amphibians living under the rocks and leaves in your yard.
5. Enjoy spring!! :0)