May 13th, from Wes: “Newest arrival. Possum from Railroad Ave. This guy fell off the ride. Very cool.”
And, some Wildlife Wisdom from licensed rehabilitator Suzanne Johnson, who is one of our networking volunteers:
WILDLIFE REHAB FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:
©Suzanne Johnson, 2020
1) If you care, leave them there. We do not steal babies from their moms so if there is ANY chance the mom is around or if you SEE the mom… let her take care of it. They have a much better survival and release chance with her than with me. If you have touched the baby, return it anyway! If the nest is too high, make a new one using a basket and use a pulley system to get that baby up there. Moms want their babies!
2) If you don’t see a mom, she might see you. Animals want to make more animals and, unlike many humans, they generally will not risk their life to save their babies. If she feels threatened, she may hide. Many animals leave their babies alone for long hours with no babysitter.
3) If an animal looks wounded or you know the mom is dead, or it is following you around, or it seems to be in danger, then call a rehabilitator. If the danger is your dog or cat then leash them or keep them indoors while the babies grow and are able to leave the area. HOUSE CATS BELONG IN THE HOUSE AND ARE A NUMBER ONE REASON THAT BIRD POPULATIONS HAVE DROPPED BY A THIRD IN THE PAST 50 YEARS.
4) If you have to take in an animal, warm the babies any way you can do that safely […]. Do not feed it! Get it to a rehabber that understands food kills a dehydrated baby, water drowns an orphaned bird, and unbalanced diets lead to early, early deaths.
Lastly, don’t let your children talk you into believing you can raise it or you should take it when you know you should not. If they want a pet, go to the shelter and rescue one of the millions and millions being euthanized every year. The hardest thing about having an animal is always losing them, or at least it should be. So leave it to someone who has experience.
Baby season is here. PLEASE be aware when mowing and when your cat is begging to go out.
New York Wildlife Rescue Center, Inc. 