brainspace SUMMER 2019 21where animals that have had head injuries can be given extra
oxygen. Inside one is a brightly patterned sapsucker (a kind of
woodpecker) that flew into a window. Under the incubators
is a big plastic bin. Gail pulls off the lid. “This is our worm
farm.” I see earth, potato chunks, sprouts and coffee grounds
- and worms, lots and lots of worms.
We walk past shelves full of animal feed, cleaning supplies,
blankets, and then we go into a fully equipped clinic area.
The refuge is licensed as a veterinary hospital, and has two
part-time veterinarians. “Is there an especially difficult case
you remember?” I ask. Gail tells me
about a porcupine with nine broken
bones. “She’d been hit by a car. She was
with us nine months, and was released
successfully.”
Gail rattles off stats as we walk through
the place: 10 loads of laundry a day, 200
medications given out in a day, 20,000
mealworms fed in a week! In peak season,
they get 60 calls a day. As if on cue, her
phone rings. I listen in, intrigued.
“Is it really fluffy? Does it have any
feathers or just down?” she asks.
It turns out someone has found a baby owl – or hawk,
they aren’t sure – on the ground. “If you look up, can you
see a nest?” asks Gail. Over the next hour, several calls are
exchanged. A photo comes through: “OK, see the round eyes
and round head?” She shows me. “That’s an owl. And it’s too
young to be out of the nest.” She calls the Owl Foundation
and confirms that they will handle the rescue. “They are
experts in owls. We cooperate with each other.”
Jen appears with a tiny, almost hairless pink baby on a
blanket. It’s squirming and squealing and about the size of my
thumb. Its eyes are not yet open. “Can you guess what this is?”
Gail asks. “A squirrel?” I guess. She shakes her head. “Look
again. See the long neck?” I consider. “A weasel?” “Bingo!”
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
We head out to the “back yard,” where a gorgeous trumpeter
swan and a limping Canada goose patrol the small grassy area.
It’s hedged with bird enclosures and outdoor cages for baby
squirrels who are graduating to more independent living.
They will go from here to large group enclosures, where
they can “wild up” before being released. Beside one of these
outdoor squirrel houses I count 12 different metal garbage
cans of feed – like sunflower seeds and rodent kibble. I’m
beginning to understand the constant commitment required
for this work, and how extensive the whole place is.
Bird-safe windows
Reflected trees or sky, or plants growing on the
other side of a window, can trick birds into thinking
they can fly right through. Many die on impact and
others go into shock, becoming easy prey. You can
help birds by hanging ribbons or strings outside
your windows four inches apart, or draw designs
on the windows with soap. Hang ornaments in the
windows, and if you have slat blinds keep them
down (with the slats open).h
elp
“She’d been hit by a car. She was
with us nine months, and was
released successfully.”