A Tale of Two Opossums

Being a licensed wildlife rehabilitator makes you look at your surroundings in a different way than most people. When my husband and I drive anywhere, one of the things we are always looking for is good patches of dandelion greens to pick for the many cottontails we rehabilitate each year and the other being any injured animals that may need our help. One animal specifically we notice are any dead opossums because anyone of them could be a mom with babies still alive in her pouch. As the only marsupial in North America, mom opossums carry their young with them in their pouch for a number of weeks. They can have two sets of babies each season, one in spring and one in fall. That is why between April and October it is so important to check any dead opossums you see on the road (where it is safe to stop and check).

So the story goes that we are always on the lookout. On September 11th we found a great patch of dandelion greens in Ottawa. The following Tuesday morning my husband went back there for more greens and saw a squashed mamma opossum (he could tell because there were scattered dead little ones on the road). To keep anyone who would be grateful for the free meal from being in the way of traffic, he dragged her way off the road and started picking greens. After just a little while he started thinking; he’d seen her dead and all the little ones but didn't actually check her pouch. So, back he went to where he had dragged her and sure enough - one little guy was still hanging on - ice cold but alive. He brought him home, weighed him and tucked him into a box on heat to warm up.

That night, I had promised to release some orphaned cottontails in a friend’s yard in the town of Waukesha, so after work we packed them up and hurried over there. All went well with the release, but now it was almost 7pm, getting dark, and we need greens again for overnight and morning for the bunnies that were still at home. We wondered where to go - look around and waste time, or go back to Ottawa, which takes time to drive to, but where we’d be assured of abundant greens. We decided Ottawa was the best choice, so off we went. I started picking down the road one way and him the other. A little later he came over and said he thought he heard something but wasn't sure. I came over by where he was picking and listened but heard nothing. Then, a little sound, and nothing again. We didn't want to walk around for fear of stepping on any little ones, and needless to say, by now it was getting dark and we really had to keep picking greens. So I got down to ground level and started making mamma opossum sounds and my husband got down and began to make baby opossum sounds. Sure enough, in just two seconds we hear another little baby. He'd been out there all that time and was cold as ice, but we found him and as of this writing, he and his brother are doing really well.

So, it just goes to show you, if take the extra time you may be able to help save a life.

Guest Blogger: N.M.

Photos courtesy of M. Draeger.

Every January the Wildlife In Need Center holds a celebration to show our appreciation for our amazing volunteers. This party is all about our volunteers and recognizing the hard work they do all year long. This year we were excited to host the party in our own gathering room here at the center!

The night is filled with food, drinks and lots of fun. Staff gives a presentation thanking all our wonderful volunteers and also awards the new Volunteer of the Year. This year the award went to Christine Fuller. Christine’s 2011 hours totaled 244.5 hours (average volunteer will clock in about 200 hours per year). Since becoming a volunteer in 2009 she has come to WINC with a wonderful attitude every shift; lifting the spirits of both staff and the resident ambassadors. Staff is lucky enough to encounter her wonderful attitude twice a week. Christine is here at the center every Saturday morning and has stepped up to help on Tuesday afternoons since the beginning of last summer. She gives incredible kindness to our patients and her fellow team members. Her heart has a big warm place for wildlife and it shows! Christine also helps at other WINC events including our dog cookie cutting party to make cookies for the World’s Greatest Cookie Sale.

Christine is dedicated, reliable, and has a great attitude. The center would not be the same without her and we are very grateful to have her as part of the Wildlife In Need Center’s volunteer team.  Thank you, Christine for all that you do. Congratulations on being 2011 Volunteer of the Year!

Interested in volunteering? The center is always looking for more volunteers! We have volunteering opportunities in animal care, grounds and maintenance, office, phones and admissions, baby bird feeding. For more information call the center at (262) 965-3090. We offer volunteer orientations once a month here the center to give you an idea of what we’re really about.

RSVP for a volunteer orientation today!

Tuesday, February 28^th from 6:30-8:00PM

Tuesday, March 20^th from 6:30-8:00PM

Tuesday, April 17^th from 6:30-8:00PM

 

This could be you!

Guest Blogger M.F.

And An Owl In A Pear Tree

Once upon a time we received a phone call from a woman who had an Owl in her pear tree. This owl, she claimed, “must have been injured,” because she had seen it in nearly the same place both the day before as well as today and she was afraid to go outside because of it. We did our best to explain that even if there was something wrong with the owl it wouldn’t pose a threat to a grown adult while it was in a tree and we tried to gather more information from her as to what more was going on to give us an idea if there really could be something wrong with it.

After a short time it was obvious that the caller was coming at the situation from a much different place than we were and was unwilling to provide us with anymore of the information we needed.

The following day, the adult children of this same woman called and tried to tell us the same story of the owl in the pear tree. When I encouraged them to approach the tree to gather more information the same as I had suggested the previous day however, the owl flew away just fine!

The reason I share this story is just an excuse to talk about the fact that baby season is just around the corner and the earliest babies are already being prepared for by their Great Horned Owl parents!

Each year we admit as many as half a dozen or more “owlets” because of strong spring storms and poorly built nests. This is the situation that Dakota was faced with when he was a youngster. As much as he has become a part of the Wildlife In Need Center and who we are over his 11 years with us, his true and ideal place would have been the freedom of living as a wild owl. Because he was taken from his family that blustery spring day rather than brought to a rehabilitator who could’ve reunited him with his family like we do with the owlets we admit, he will never live that life.

Just a reminder that when you find an animal you think needs help, make your first step a positive one and contact your local wildlife rehabilitator before you do anything else!

This puff-ball can't get back up into his parents' nest without a little assistance. This is not a safe place for someone like him to be so if you see this situation, give us a call

An experienced volunteer is gently gathering up the owlet to bring to the Center for evaluation. Once we've determined that there are no injuries we will send out re-nesting volunteers and staff to reunite the babies with their family.

Owlets that are a little larger and more feathered like this one are called "branchers." These little guys may be capable of hoping and gliding enough that if found on the ground they could get back up into the lower branches on their own. If they can't do so in a reasonable amount of time however, always call a rehabilitator for advice 

An Owl Re-nesting Volunteer climbs the tree armed with a new "nest" to install for the owl family

Thank you for caring!