Thank You Wildlife Rehabilitators

I have the ultimate respect for Wildlife Rehabilitators.  A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar on the ABC’s of becoming a rehabber.  It was held at the Weinberg Nature Center in Scarsdale, NY. The hosts were Maggie Ciarca, a Wildlife Rehabilitator who specializes in Opossums and Joanne Dreeban an aviary specialist.  I was honored to be in front of these two highly dedicated and knowledgeable Wildlife Rehabilitators.  They explained it all to us from supplies, to the personal time commitment to the lack of funding support.  It is amazing to me the dedication and commitment these individuals have in their role as a Wildlife Rehabilitator.  They have to tend to the animals’ day to day needs—food, water—in addition to treating their medial ailments.  Most babies have to eat every 2 to 3 hours depending upon species and their living quarters must be kept sanitary.  It is a 24/7 job that typically goes unrecognized.  We would like to say THANK YOU for all of your assistance to us and our fellow WCO’s.  We appreciate all you do.

In fact, we are in the process of setting up our not for profit, The Got Wildlife? Foundation with the intentions of donating a portion of our funds generated/raised to Wildlife Rehabilitators in our service areas and beyond—as our organization grows we will look to assist nationwide. Stay tuned for updates on the Got Wildlife? Foundation.

Below is a recent circumstance that required assistance from a Wildlife Rehabilitator, Susan Denicholas in Newburgh, NY.  We rescued 4 raccoon kits –aren’t they adorable.  They were all healthy and will be rehabbed and released into the wild later this summer.

In closing, this time of year you will be seeing many babies, perhaps without their parents.  Don’t be an accidental kidnapper.  During the spring and Summer Seasons, new generations of wild birds and mammals are born in our woodlands and yards.  These young wild animals are less wary of humans than their parents and are often mistaken for orphans and “rescued” by well-intentioned people.  The fact is that, in many cases, these infant animals and birds are not truly orphaned or abandoned and are better left to be cared for by their natural parents.  Two simple rules of thumb:

  1. If you have to chase it to catch it, it does not require your assistance.
  2. Don’t remove it from its parents.

And if you do come across a situation that requires you to contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator place the animal in a warm, dark, quiet area.  Do not feed or provide water, until you have spoken to a professional and have been given instructions.

If you are in need of a Wildlife Rehabilitator in New York, Please visit www.nyswrc.org or call me at 917-282-9090 and I will get you in touch with a Rehabilitator that can assist.  If in NJ please visit  www.njawr.org

“This American system of ours, call it Americanism,call it capitalism, call it what you will, gives each and every one of us a great opportunity if we only seize it with both hands and make the most of it.”
Aurthur Unknown