With baby season in full swing, I’ve been getting a lot of calls about baby raccoon, an animal that I can not longer take in. In the past I was allowed to raise raccoons and release them back into the wild. However, for the last several years 15 Ohio Counties, including Stark have imposed rules…
If you would like to find out more about deer and their young then head over to the Learning Center here.
This photo was taken back in 2012 when Fran Kitchen released a Saw-Whet owl. Saw-Whet Owls are one of the smallest owl species in North America. 🦉 If you would like to learn more facts about owls visit the Learning Center here.
“Youngest was found on a path. A dog killed the mother of the other one.” – Fran
It was found on a bike and hike trail. “I didn’t think it was going to make it, but it’s doing good.” – Fran Kitchen ❤️
The following was originally posted back in 2018 but bares repeating during this time of year. Please share and help me educate people on this time of year. – Fran The two ducklings in the photo were brought to me after they were found behind a motel where someone had recently dumped them. They were…
In 2019 Fran took in OVER 900 animals. She currently takes care of three counties, Portage, Wayne and her own county, Summit. You may have seen the notice we posted last week that there was a rumor going around that Fran was dead, had cancer and not taking in wildlife anymore. As we mentioned, THIS…
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!! Fran is alive and well and still caring for wildlife!! Apparently there are rumors going around that she is retired, dying of cancer and quit rehabbing. NOT TRUE!! In true is that she has been very busy caring for all the injured and sick animals that come into the facility during the winter…
One warm fall afternoon, I went out to get the mail. As I looked down the street, I saw a little puppy running right down the center of Waterloo road. With the traffic that comes down this main road, I knew if I didn’t do something he was going to get hit by a car. …
This week we thought you would enjoy seeing photos (and narration) from a rescue that took place back in August of 2016. It was a day when the temps hit the high 90’s, and Fran donned long pants and a flannel jacket after a home owner called Operation Orphan about a young, Blue Heron that…
These two baby Screech Owls were brought into Operation Orphan this week. They were found on a median strip and had possibly been blown from the nest in high winds during the storms we have had. Approximately five weeks old, the larger one was not in as good condition as the smaller one. Copyright 2018…
I would like to give a shout out and thank you to Donzell’s Garden Center for all their support throughout the years. It’s one of our favorite places to put on a display because we get so many people that come out, not only see the animals but to learn about how to co-exist with…
On behalf of Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation, I would like to thank Cristina Filippelli for her recent donation of items that we use. Chewy the puppy was not one of her donations. She just wanted in the photo. HA! REMINDER: For anyone interested, please come visit us this weekend at Donzell’s Garden Center from 11:00…
I cannot tell you the number of times I have been called because an animal or bird is in a fireplace or is heard above the damper. The simple truth is that a chimney cap can save your life and prevent unwanted wildlife problems. When people think of a chimney cap they often only think…
It is that time of year once again: BABY SEASON It is that time of year once again when may you see a baby animal in the wild all by itself, and your first thought may be that the baby is an orphan. However, at least 85% of baby animals seen by humans are not…
We have a new education bird here at Operation Orphan; his name is Bartholomew and he is a Barred Owl. Bartholomew got his name from the women that found him found on the side of the road in Mogadore, Ohio. He had been struck by a vehicle and his shoulder was shattered. The repair was…
I received three bottles of Flys-Off and a bag of cracked corn over the weekend. Thank you Melissa Hornak–this is a BIG HELP! Without Flys-Off, it would be very easy to have a parasite problem. Flys-Off allows me to safely get parasites off of the mammals. Without it, the fleas would get out of control. …
Once again I find myself saying THANK YOU. Kate Powell donated Clean & Cozy bedding, plus a bottle of Pedialyte. Mr. and Mrs. DeAngelis donated paper towels, bleach and Tide. Items donated not only help with caring for the wildlife but it saves me TIME because I do not need to go shop for them….
Thank you Ed and Nancy Irving for the two large bags of Aspan wood chips. That will be a BIG help when waterfowl begin to come in. In case you didn’t read my last post, BABY SEASON has started! We now have four baby squirrel that are no more than 10 days old and two…
Early this morning, these baby squirrels (approx 9 days old) arrived at OOWR today. These babies have to get warm before they can be fed. Their nest came down in the wind. Mom took two (which means she had a bigger than normal litter); she did not return for the remaining four. – Fran Copyright…
My days normally begin between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. My routine is to put the dogs out, get my first cup of coffee (if it is baby season I feed babies as I drink my first cup of coffee) and then let the dogs back in the house. I like, when able, to take that…
I was sent a boxful (17 to be exact!) of these cute mini hats that were knitted specifically for baby wildlife. The group, Cuyahoga Falls Knit and Hook, made these to be used as “nests” for the baby wildlife such as bunnies and squirrel. These are going to be WONDERFUL as baby season will be…
Last year, a call came in that an Osprey nest had come down with three young birds. They were almost old enough to take first flight. We had gotten so much rain that the nest was saturated with water and it broke loose from its resting place in the tree. Osprey nest high in the…
I would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to James Carnahan. A call came in today about two deer. One deer was already dead; the other was still alive but could not get free. They had been fighting, and both of them got caught and tangled in a hammock. They had fought and struggled…
When the forecast calls for snow showers and freezing temperatures, we turn the heat up a little, bundle up before we go outside and pretty much go about our daily business. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the wildlife. Not too many years ago, we had two geese brought in on the same day…
It is with a heavy heart that I report that Godzilla, our educational Great Horned Owl, had to be put down. She was in her 20s and was an amazing education bird. Godzilla had spent ten years at another facility before being transferred to Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation. She was in our care for eleven…
Today I would like to share with you a special Christmas Memory that I think many of you will enjoy. It’s about Stubby, our first educational groundhog and one that I think about every Christmas season. Earlier in the spring of this particular year, a farmer was working with a backhoe when he accidentally dug…
Almost everyone likes surprises—to some degree or another. On the other hand, some are better if they never happen. This type of surprise is true of the story I am about to tell. One November evening, I was doing a program at a local assisted living facility. When the program was completed, a couple of…
It was Easter Sunday when the call came in about two baby Great Horned Owls. One baby was injured, but the other seemed all right. The woman who called said she had watched for several hours to see if a mother came in to care for the young and it was clear that no parent…
I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: 85% of the baby animals picked up ARE NOT ORPHANED and should have been LEFT ALONE. Mom usually is not far away. Below are some of the most common things that people DO WRONG when they find an animal and what’s THE RIGHT thing…