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Reuniting Baby Squirrels!

Reuniting Tips from the Experts:   Eastern Gray Squirrels

Eastern Gray Squirrels are amazing and dedicated mothers.  Ask any of our rehabbers and they can tell you a few stories about the amazing feats a mom will go to get her babies back.  How can you reunite successfully?  Here’s a few tips from our rehabbers:

If the baby is injured or has been in your dog’s or cat’s mouth, reuniting is NOT an option.  Contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately!

Do NOT give the baby food or water.  Depending on the age, healthy babies can go hours without food while waiting for mom and any attempts you make at feeding them can result in their death or mom to reject them.

Pinkie squirrels chill & dehydrate quickly.

If the baby is cold to the touch, bring them inside to warm up for 30 minutes.  Mom will NOT take back a cold baby.  To safely warm them up, place the baby in a box with towels or blankets and then set the box half on and half off a heating pad that is set to low.  If you don’t have a heating pad, you can place a water bottle filled with hot water or microwave a sock filled with rice or beans as an alternative heat source.  Be sure to replace the hot water or microwave sock periodically to ensure a continuous heat source for the baby.

 

 

Place the baby in a box or container that is deep enough that they can’t climb out but shallow enough that mom can climb in and get them.  Return the baby as close as possible to the nesting tree.  If you can’t find the nest, choose a tree closest to where you found the baby.  Securely attach the container to the tree using tape or bungee cords.  If it is not possible to attach to a tree, set the box on the ground close to the tree.  Young babies are vulnerable to sunburn so always be sure the baby is protected from direct sunlight.

Sometimes playing an audio of a gray squirrel baby distress call will alert mom that she needs to return to the reuniting site. Play it a few times to get her attention.  Give her a couple hours to find and retrieve them.  She will not return if you stay near the nest.

If you find orphans late in the evening, place them in a box and bring them inside overnight.  Babies cannot survive temperature drops overnight and are vulnerable to predators.  Try to reunite again in the morning.

When in doubt, don’t hesitate to call a rehabber for more advice and tips.  Call ARC’s Wildlife Hotline at 704-552-2329.  It’s monitored 9am-9pm, 7 days a week.  Leave a message and we’ll do our best to help you get those babies back to mom!

–Mary Mullis, ARC Wildlife Rehabilitator

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Wildlife Adventures

Kitnapped!  by Carolyn Festa

Cottontail moms build their nests in the darndest places. Shallow depressions in the middle of the yard, busy playgrounds and even dog parks are some favorite nesting sites. Because of this, nestlings (called kits) have a good chance of being discovered and inadvertently “kitnapped” by well-meaning humans. Unintentional kitnapping is perpetuated because bunny moms (called does) take an extremely “paws off” approach to rearing and only visit their brood for a few minutes two or three times a day. Fearful, cautious and not wanting to attract attention, mom usually feeds at night or when visibility is low. Naturally, fretful nest watchers assume abandonment and can’t resist the urge to rescue. But mom is often near, internally screaming as she helplessly watches a two-legged giant take off with her babies. So, remember, if you stumble upon a rabbit nest this spring, don’t automatically assume the bunnies need your help. When in doubt, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.

Phoebe’s new babies

Sweet Phoebe

In an unusual spin on bunny “kitnapping,” ARC hotline got an interesting call we just had to share.  Phoebe’s owner noticed that she was not allowing her Chinese Crested “best bud” to sleep in their shared dog bed. Phoebe, a Pitbull, and the Crested, have always been snuggle buddies, but not on this day.

Upon investigation, Phoebe’s owner found two tiny, days old cottontails carefully tucked under the padding of the dog bed. Apparently, Phoebe, a mom herself a couple of years earlier, made two separate trips through the doggy door with the precious cargo. As soon as the owner realized what Phoebe had done, she contacted an ARC rehabilitator. The baby cottontails had some minor bruising, but had no other injuries. They were rehabilitated and successfully released back into the wild where they belong!

“Like Rats as Big as Cats”  by Carolyn Festa

Many times wildlife rehabilitation is as much about helping people as it is about rescuing animals.

“You found what? Where did you say you found them?” The incredulous wildlife rehabilitator was trying to understand a hysterical elderly woman who was on the phone.  The upset caller said, “Something moved when I was reaching for the rolling pin in my bottom drawer. There’s a whole wad of them. Possums…they’re like rats as big as cats! ”

*Photoshop Reenactment*

The rehabber was interrupted as she was explaining that the role of a wildlife rehabilitator is to help injured and orphaned…..”Well, I know this is not your usual job, but you are the third person I have called. I am 86 years old, homebound with my 96 year old husband who is dying with the cancer. I am flat broke and nobody will help me get these critters out of my cake drawer.” There are times when it is absolutely right to do something that’s not officially your job, so the rehabilitator donned gloves and headed out.

They were there, in the kitchen, exactly as the women described. Five juvenile opossums snuggled down in the bottom drawer right next to the rolling pin.  They really did look a little like rats as big as cats. The rehabilitator quickly captured the surprised stowaways, pointed out the likely access point beneath the kitchen sink and offered to help close it up. On the way out of the home, an elderly gentleman in a recliner woke up and said “How much do I owe you?” The wildlife rehabilitator said, “Nothing sir, I am a volunteer. I am happy to help you and these animals!”  He said, “Well then, thank you. This is the best thing I’ve ever gotten for free! May God bless you.”

The opossums were examined, certified awesome and released into the wild. It was a great day for all!

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Hotline Volunteers Needed!

Hotline volunteers play a key role in the rehabilitation of animals.  This vital position acts as bridge between the person who has found an injured or orphaned animal and the rehabilitator who can administer lifesaving aid.  At Animal Rehabilitators of the Carolinas (ARC) the hotline volunteers are an integral part of our organization.  Our hotline volunteers are trained and mentored as they learn the protocols of the organization, and most importantly, how to determine if an animal is indeed hurt or orphaned and needs human intervention.

They can provide information on reuniting babies with their mother, information on emergency care, and help connect the caller with a rehabilitator if needed.  The volunteer is the first person a caller interacts with when attempting to get help for an animal.  Hotline volunteers sometimes can act in other roles depending on the call. One day they may be a negotiator to the person who decides they want to keep an animal (it is against the law to have a wild animal without proper licensing) or another time act as a comforting, supportive voice to a caller who tried to help, but the animal succumbs to their injuries before help can be obtained. Without hotline volunteers, the health and well-being of many animals would be in jeopardy. These people volunteer their time and support to help wildlife when they need it the most.

ARC is currently looking for caring people who would like to join our team as a hotline volunteer. You must be at least 18 years old, and be committed to at least two shifts (four hours each) twice a month. New volunteers will be trained and also have a mentor to reach out to for assistance and advice. Volunteering is completed online so phone and internet service is required.

If you are someone who wants to make a difference in the life of these precious creatures, please reach out by emailing volunteer@arcwildlife.org for more information. The joy of helping your first animal is priceless and the impact that one volunteer can make is invaluable to our organization.  If you are interested in making a difference, please reach out for more information on volunteering or donating to the organization.

–Tena Pair, ARC Hotline Volunteer

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Tuesday Tails!

Chloe’s Story by Kim Kuhn

The Internet, most of the time, makes a rehabber’s job much harder than it needs to be.   There is too much misinformation out there which oftentimes makes wildlife worse off.  On rare occasions we are fortunate to come across an exception.  This time a very smart, big-hearted 14-year-old named Chloe found an eyes-closed baby squirrel on the ground.  She scoured the Internet and learned to do the right things:

Chloe with Pine

She made a temporary “nest” to attempt to reunite the baby with its mom, since Chloe could see the nest up high in the tree.

Reuniting Nest

By nightfall it was clear the mama was not coming back, so Chloe brought the baby inside to keep it warm overnight.  She found a recipe for a hydration solution to keep the baby hydrated; because she was worried about “aspiration,” which she read is so common with baby squirrels, she let the baby lick the solution off her finger

As much as Chloe wanted to keep and raise the baby, she knew the best thing would to be to get it to a rehabilitator, so she called ARC.  That night I got “Pine” (nut), a healthy boy who seemed unhurt after his fall from his nest.

Pool Floats

The next evening, ARC received another call from Chloe.  That morning when she and her family awoke, they found another baby squirrel, which, unfortunately had died from the fall out of the nest.  Chloe heard something and realized that there was yet another baby still in the nest – crying for its mama, who apparently had not been able to make it back to her babies.  The nest was too high to reach, so Chloe did the next best thing: she used pool floats to create a soft landing place, realizing that the other baby would eventually fall from the nest.

Pine & Annabelle

 

This is how ARC got Annabelle – unscathed because of Chloe’s quick thinking!  The babies were fed every three hours until their eyes opened.  Formula was continued as well as solid food for five weeks, until they were all old enough to be released back into the wild.  They spent some time in the pre-release cage with a squirrel friend name Hazel until they ventured out on their own to live the fullest squirrel lives possible!

 

Last year, ARC rehabbers rescued and released over 500 squirrels!  Can you imagine the endless weeks of dedication, feeding, cleaning, cage building, and financial resources needed for 500 squirrels?  Please consider helping us so we can continue to help our precious wildlife.

 

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Happy New Year!

As 2019 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to share our 2019 accomplishments with you, our ARC family!  With the help and dedication of our all-volunteer team, ARC had over 1,065 wild critters come into care this year.

        • Cottontails 342
        • Squirrels 325
        • Opossums 337
        • Raccoons 61 (SC)

It was an extremely challenging year thanks to early warm weather that resulted in many species having more than normal litters!  Changes in our environment continued to negatively impact our wildlife.  Clear cut logging that removes hundreds of acres of woodland homes, as well as continued urbanization and development have kept our phone lines busy all year long.

While our successes and happy endings are wonderful to share we know there is much left to do.  Due to limited volunteers and resources, we can’t always help every animal from the 2,000 plus calls we receive each year but know that each of us strive every day to do more, be better, and go the extra mile to help every creature we possibly can.

We look forward to doing even more in 2020!  Thanks to changes in NC regulations concerning rabies vector species, we will now be able to help raccoons, skunks, foxes and more!

We could not do this without your donations and support.  Please continue to follow our progress as we continue our mission to support wildlife.  We plan to share more stories, pictures and education than ever before!  Thanks for journeying with us through the next exciting 12 months!

Happy and Healthy New Year to each of you and to all our wild patients!

Roseann Michalowski, 2019-2020 ARC President

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Now Enrolling New Members for Our March Class Dates!

ARC is holding a two day training class for new members that covers all the basic information and skills you need to get started in wildlife rehabilitation. Classes will be held Saturday, March 4th, 10am-6pm and Sunday, March 5, 1pm-6pm.  The enrollment deadline is February 18th!

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New member training provides basic information and skills you need in order to join our organization and start as a wildlife rehabilitator.

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Leave the Leaves for Wildlife!

You shouldn’t feel obligated to rake up every last leaf in your yard this fall.  Leave leaves on the ground — they have a lot of benefit to wildlife and your garden.  Below are some tips on how to minimize the time you spend raking and maximize the benefit to wildlife and the greater environment that fallen leaves offer.

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