What to do if you find baby bunnies (Eastern Cottontail)

Yes, they have arrived.

Unless an injury is clearly visible, if you find a nest of bunnies, leave it alone. Mom WILL be back.

After she gives birth, the mother covers the babies in dried grass and lots of her own grey brown fur. The “nest” looks like a simple, shallow depression on the ground. She quietly returns at dawn and dusk to nurse. She leaves them alone most of the time because, like mother deer, the mother rabbit’s size and odor attract predators.

After 3-5 weeks, the baby rabbits leave the nest and start to explore. When they are about the size of an adult fist, or 2/3 the length of a dollar bill, they are old enough to be independent of their mother.

DO NOT FEED BABY BUNNIES. They require a highly specialized diet, giving them anything else will harm them. Feeding bunnies is complex; food can easily enter their lungs, killing them.

What to do if you find injured waterfowl

These new intakes are grabbing a sip of water while we prepare their habitat. We will care for them until they are fully flighted, self-sufficient Canada Geese.

In case you find baby waterfowl (geese or ducks), follow these instructions to give them a hand:

If you find a young baby gosling or duckling, the first thing to do is check if he is injured. If you see anything abnormal, call us (267) 416-9453. But if the baby duck or goose looks perfectly healthy, the best thing to do is place him in a safe container, like a cardboard box (with paper towel or rag on the bottom so he doesn’t slip around).

Look around for his family. All of his siblings will be the same size - that’s the best clue you have found the right family. Place the baby on the ground close to the family, and watch carefully. If he runs to the parents, and the parents to him, all should be well. Continue to watch to ensure the reunion is successful. If the parents peck the baby or try to avoid him, scoop him back up, and call us or bring him in right away.

Great Horned Owl Surrogacy Begins

Jackson, our resident Great Horned Owl, and his adopted baby on day 1 of the surrogacy. Jackson positions himself, blocking unwarranted access to his new ward. The orphaned baby Great Horn was brought to us by a conscientious neighbor.

Baby Raccoons

Baby raccoons are upon us. If you find an injured or orphaned baby raccoon, call us (267) 416-9453. We will help you determine whether it might be possible to reunite the baby with its mother, which is always best.

Busy Season is Approaching

A small sample of clinic events this week: A Red-tailed Hawk receives treatment after a head trauma, a Snapping Turtle has its wound cleaned and dressed, and Pennsylvania wildflowers emerge on the property.

Young Squirrel Caught by Cat

A cat injured this squirrel’s paw which was partially degloved. We stabilized the wound, administered antibiotics and pain medication. She is eating well and we are optimistic about a full recovery.

Thank You

We want to say thank you to the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Philadelphia graduate chapter, for the amazingly generous supply drive they did for us. On a cold, rainy February day, a dozen sisters delivered us a truly impressive amount of supplies - medical supplies, cleaning supplies, dog and cat food, even a new refrigerator. Thank you to President Dana Moore and Wildlife Project Coordinator Colleen Wright - Green, and all the sisters for this great work.

The Releasing of the Shrew

Dig it! This short-tailed shrew was released in the woods on our property and promptly scurried under the leaf litter to look for worms and possibly meadow voles, which they paralyze with their venomous fangs.

Snowy Owl Release

Opossum - Hit by Car

This unlucky opossum was struck by a vehicle. Luckily, a motorist acted quickly and brought her to us. We set the bone and provided palliative care. She is stable and resting well.

Fox Release

After a month rehabbing in our care, this newly healed and healthy fox was just released to the backyard from whence it came in Roxborough. The very compassionate property owners trapped it and brought it to us for care, and our wonderful volunteer Michael Eibel took it back to its home turf, where it remembered its old den and darted right back to it. Since these animals live amongst us now (or rather we live amongst them), we must learn to coexist with them.

Snowy Owl

This snowy owl was injured on barbed wire at the State Prison, and was found bleeding with a broken wing. The prison was very nice and accommodating in letting our team in to rescue him, and the awesome people at Radnor Veterinary Hospital are miracle workers, placing a pin in the fractured wing bone so that it could heal properly for the bird to fly again...especially since this bird will need to make his way back to the Arctic Circle by next spring! We'll make sure he's fat and ready in time. Dig it: snowy owls, usually the juveniles, are occasional visitors to PA in the winter, travelling from the far North.

Eastern Box Turtle

Contrary to popular belief, an eastern box turtle’s shell is composed of living tissue that can bleed when injured and sense pain when hurt.

Bald Eagle

Great thanks to the very skilled and kind people at Radnor Veterinary Hospital for helping with this patient. It must have eaten an animal that was killed with a shotgun and not retrieved, because X-ray shows a lot of lead shot stuck in the stomach, and subsequent lead poisoning, so chelation therapy is part of its rehabilitation.

Common Loon

This common loon in winter plumage was found grounded and bleeding. After a rescue effort and a healing stay at our hospital, he was released to a wonderful lake by volunteer Jake Margerum, where he can get his bearings first and then complete his migration. Common loons are highly aquatic and can fly, swim, and dive like champs, but they can't walk on land (they just awkwardly lurch forward, kind of like seals), and they need water to take off into the air. Details like this are critical to rehab, because each species is very different and has very different needs.

And the Answer is:

Yesterday's Answer: ruby-crowned kinglet.

Todays animal: Fat Sam, our resident released woodchuck, right before he went underground into hibernation. He'll go into suspended animation, his body temperature and heartbeat will drop, and he'll survive off his fat stores till next spring.

Today's Quiz

Who am I?

This poor animal smacked into a window and needs some medical care. Guess the species and we'll tell you the answer tomorrow.

Save our Deck

Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist? This mash of little monsters were rescued from under a deck that was about to be demolished, which would have crushed them. They're late in the year for baby possums but they'll have safe haven until they're old enough to take care of themselves.

Freedom Regained

Here's the Canada goose from two weeks ago, stitches out, leg healed, being released back home and flying back to see his friends. There are many sub-species of Branta canadensis so it's important to get them back to their original tribe once they've recovered.

And the answer is:

The answer to yesterday's X-ray quiz

:

Gray phase Eastern screech owl.