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. …
On behalf of Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., I would like to thank Karra Gazdacko for her recent Amazon Smile purchase of dried fruit. When the squirrels have their eyes open and they are old enough to begin eating solids, they will love it. In the photo are four orphan baby Red Squirrels that we…
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…
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…
These baby Flying Squirrels were brought to Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation this week. When they arrived they were ice cold and in trouble, and they’re still not out of danger. Baby animals that have closed eyes MUST HAVE A HEAT SOURCE. That’s because when their eyes are closed they do not produce their own heat….
I have made so many memories in all of my years of wildlife work. Some of those memories are good and some are not, but they are all a big part of my life and my biggest motivators. For today’s Throwback Thursday I thought I would ramble a bit on some of those memories. My…
Every day, I am reminded of the harshness of nature and what our wildlife has to endure to survive. Today’s story will give you a glimpse into their world. It was around 10:00 pm last summer when the phone rang and on the other end of the phone was a very distraught woman. In the…
Back in the early 70’s, I received a call from my sister-in-law, Sandy who was at work in a factory located in Barberton. They found a baby bird and was afraid it wouldn’t make it until the workday ended without any help. I was on the case! I immediately drove to the factory thinking that…
In the late 80’s, my husband, Ron, and I came home from a Memorial Day camping trip. I was tired after unloading the camper, so I went upstairs for an early soak in the bathtub. After getting into my night clothes I had my mind all set for a quiet, relaxing evening. Anyone that knows…
It was the early 1990’s when a call came in about a baby porcupine. The woman that called had taken it from a neighbor who stole it from the mother in Canada. We have the Lacy Act which is an Act of Congress. In that Act, one of the laws states that it is a…
Without thinking about it, each of us do little things each day that impact our environment and wildlife in a negative way. For example, who would ever think that something as simple as throwing away the ring that is attached to a bottle cap could cost an animal its life? One year when I was…
For those who know me or have followed me through the years, you know that I am big on education, especially as it pertains to learning how to co-habitate with wildlife. Sometimes the education that I give may seem harsh but needs to be said, as in the case of today’s post. My job is…
Unless they are roaming and non-stop vocalizing for several hours, they are being cared for (Mother is not far away). PLEASE LEAVE THEM ALONE! Deer are giving birth now and I’ve been getting calls non-stop about fawns, so I want to get this message out to everyone. PLEASE SHARE. If you see a fawn in…
This is the time of year when Mama Bird is teaching her fledglings how to fly, and you see them all over the ground. This past week, I received 25 calls about baby birds all in ONE DAY!! People are inquisitive, so I put together these facts to help anyone out who comes in contact…
Rabies is a deadly virus that strikes the central nervous system of mammals and almost always results in death if not treated. The virus is spread through an infected animal’s saliva. People and pets do not have to be bitten in order to contract the disease; there only needs to be an open cut, scratch, pimple or…
All too often I come across stories of wildlife that are euthanized, die of starvation or die in captivity due to improper care or killed by homeowners because they become a nuisance. This often happens because someone thought they could raise an orphaned animal on their own. There is so much that goes into preparing…
Back in the early 90’s, Ron and I traveled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to release a rehabilitated baby porcupine. On our journey to the UP, we camped at a state park near Mackinaw. The park ranger saw the Operation Orphan sign on the camper and was curious, so he came over to talk…