Be a wildlife hero today and help “teen animals” get through Wildlife School!
(Be sure to select “Back to Wildlife School – Match Campaign” from the drop-down menu)
DONATE TODAY!
All gifts made between now and September 26th will be matched up to $50,000!
As many of our spring baby patients are preparing to graduate from our clinic and will soon be released into the wild, a flood of new juvenile wildlife patients will be arriving this fall. Often, they are starving having been unsuccessful at finding enough food without their parents’ help. Many are without shelter because they haven’t mastered the necessary skills or arrive injured because they got themselves into trouble not knowing any better in the wild ways of the world.
This fall, our clinic staff will take on the role of teachers as they will educate wild teens on “Survival 101” with an emphasis on finding appropriate habitat, social partners and resources to thrive in the wild. Through our pre-release protocols, they learn “Physical Education” and develop the fitness and skills needed to evade predators, forage for food and/or hunt.
Following a tremendous outpouring of community support from wildlife heroes like you who responded to our emergency appeal earlier this year, our clinic doors were able to remain open. Now as we approach fall and the beginning of 2021, and face continued financial uncertainty, we are reaching out again for support to remain on mission. In this spirit, thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we are humbly announcing a Matching Gift Fundraising Campaign in preparation for a new wave of clinic patients.
Much Needed “School” Supplies
During the fall, we get a steady stream of juvenile (“teenager”) opossums, songbirds, bunnies, foxes, squirrels and many more showing up at our clinic doors needing help. Your donation will buy:
- Medication
- Food & Formula
- Life-saving surgeries
- X-rays & vet appointments
- Staff support
- Clinic maintenance and upkeep
This week, our Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic received two injured juvenile red-tailed hawks. Unfortunately, both hawks have broken wings. We suspect at least one of them was hit by a car, which is a common occurrence in species that hunt near roads or eat roadkill. Red-tailed hawks do most of their hunting by watching from a high perch then swooping down to catch prey at the right moment, or by flying over fields and watching for prey below. They will often take advantage of the mowed, open areas of grass near roadways and hunt there, which of course puts them at risk of being hit by cars.
Juvenile animals that are just mastering hunting and have not learned about all of the hazards of the world are at even greater risk. The typical course of treatment for a fractured wing is medication, stabilization and wrapping of the wing, and cage rest while the fracture is healing, then gradual exercise until the bird can fly perfectly again. Sometimes juveniles need a bit more TLC than adults as they master their survival skills in a safe place. We are happy to provide that safe place here at HNC and give wildlife a second chance at life.
