To learn more about Wild Care, visit our website!
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2017 Year in Review
January
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Dovekies. Photo by Leo Seletsky
Dovekie bonanza! Winter storms brought us over 30 of these nerf-football sized seabirds in one week in January 2017. Thanks to teamwork at Wild Care, and a local boat captain, we were able to get 18 of them back out to sea.
Read the story
here...
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Mute Swan admires herself in the mirror.
An amazing rescue in Falmouth brings us two sibling immature Mute Swans sickened with lead poisoning. Sadly one did not survive. The other was treated with supportive care, 9 weeks of lead chelation therapy, and swim time in one of our therapy pools. This bird was released! Read the full story
here...
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Director's Message
January 25th, 2018
Happy New Year everyone! What an incredible year. Wild Care saw 1,716 animals in 2017.
A record number, and 343 more animals than 2016. We feel good knowing we were able to provide care to these animals in need, and provide our services to all of Cape Cod!
In 2017, Wild Care...
- Provided care for 745 orphaned animals displaced from their parents.
- Answered 9,746 phone calls from the community regarding wildlife & more.
- Increased our release rate from 41% in 2016, to 46% in 2017 (the national average is ~33%).
- Utilized over 230 volunteers who contributed > 7,568.75 hrs. (WOW!)
We are excited to launch into 2018 with you, and continue to provide and expand our services for people & for wildlife.
We hope you enjoy this "Year-in-Review". It is a quick snapshot of some of the exciting happenings at Wild Care in 2017, all made possible by your love and support!
Sincerely,
Stephanie, Executive Director
Please help us
start 2018 off right.
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Wild Care - Every Animal Matters!
Check out Wild Care's Informational Video by
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March - Time to Get Squirrely
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1st orphaned squirrels of the year arrived early!
Our first orphaned Eastern Gray Squirrels shown here, actually came to us earlier than normal - February! But here they are on March 17, 2017 at 2.5 weeks old. Squirrels have 2 litters per year, generally March and August. These little ones broke the squirrel seal... Between March - September 2017, Wild Care cared for 96 orphaned squirrels. That's nutty!
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April - Life After Raccoons!
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Darwin goes home. Photo by Jake McCumber
One of most heartwarming stories of 2017 was the rescue and release of a female Eastern Screech Owl from Falmouth. In April, a raccoon had ransacked the nest box of a screech owl couple. The Jake McCumber and Lisa Snowberg, found one of the owls on the ground covered with the yolks of her own eggs. There was only one unbroken egg left in the box. They put the owl in the box with the egg and brought the owl and the egg to Wild Care. Needless to say, the bird was traumatized and had an injured left eye. Read the full story
here...
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Ruby-throated Hummingbirds by Elizabeth Brooke
These two orphaned Ruby-throated Hummingbirds came to us merely a week old, still in their nest and featherless. Their nesting tree was cut down in Middleboro, and attempts to reunite them were not feasible. These birds require a tremendous amount of delicate care, initially being fed every 20 minutes over the first week, with a rich nectar formula, ground up fruit flies, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Fortunately, baby birds grow quickly and these two were released in late August, just in time for their southbound migration.
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September -
A Bittersweet Farewell
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In September, Wild Care said goodbye to 4 outstanding young women, our Summer Interns! By then, we had already treated 1,407 animals. This would not have been possible without our interns, and our dedicated volunteers! Thank you Carolyn Brooks, Michaela Jacks, Jamie Soucie, and Emily Fish.
These internships were made possible by the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation and the Edward Bangs Kelley and Ezra Kelley Foundation, Inc. and we are grateful!
We are seeking interns for Summer 2018! The deadline is March 1st. Details
here...
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Least Bittern. Photo by Leo Seletsky
An Endangered Species was brought to our care - a Least Bittern. It is a tiny bird, the smallest heron in the world, weighing about the same as an American Robin. Along with its injured foot, it was emaciated and extremely weak from its migration. With supportive care and as little stress as possible, the bird gained weight, and the wound healed quickly. This beautiful little bird was released back into the marshy habitat in Orleans near where it was found.
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Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Andrea Spence
This Red-tailed Hawk defied all odds and was released, despite having been shot illegally, and left to die in Chatham. A bullet had gone through its right coracoid bone (collar bone) and lodged into the pectoral muscle. The coracoid is part of the shoulder assembly, and the pectorals are the wing muscles that power the downstroke. It was thought that this bird may never fly again. The bird received many months of wound management, pain medication, antibiotics and physical therapy. Though the perpetrator was never caught, we are delighted that this bird was able to fly free again!
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October -
Our Tropical Guest
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Masked Booby. Photo by Amy Webster
Hurricane Jose brought us a rare tropical visitor known as a Masked Booby. This is a species that has never been recorded on Massachusetts soil. A species that normally resides in southern oceans, such as the Caribbean. This bird was likely carried over 1,000 miles by Hurricane Jose. Sadly, the bird was gravely ill, and did not survive despite our gallant efforts and intensive care. But his legacy continues. Read the full story
here...
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November -
Radiograph Appeal
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For #GivingTuesday on November 28, 2017, you helped us to raise an additional $5,000 to secure a radiograph machine (to take x-rays!) The machine will be installed next week, and will further improve our quality of care. We are ecstatic and grateful! We'd also like to thank the
Friends of Cape Wildlife
for donating a $2,000 match towards the machine. We'll be taking x-rays in no time!
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July - Displaced Osprey Gets a New Home
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Dinosaur? Osprey chick photo by Amy Webster.
A young Osprey was displaced, after his nest fell in Bourne. Unable to get the nest back up, Wild Care Wildlife Rehabilitator Amy Webster worked quickly, along with Yarmouth Natural Resources, to find the Osprey a new nest and parents in Yarmouth. The Osprey chick was successfully placed into an active nest, with new parents and 3 foster
siblings! Read the full story
here...
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December - We stayed warm Christmas Day!
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Southern Flying Squirrel by Amy Webster
On Christmas Day, an intense wind storm shook much of Cape Cod, causing power outages Cape-wide. Wild Care lost power, but fortunately, thanks to a generous anonymous donation, we had recently purchased and installed a natural gas-powered automatic generator. The generator kicked in, and our patients (and our Animal Care Coordinator) were able to stay toasty warm all day. Never have we been so excited about losing power! Thank you Leon Knight of
Knight Electric
and Ed Pavlu of Pavlu Plumbing and Heating of Brewster, for your timely installation.
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Thank you for a great 2017.
Let's make 2018 even better! Please make a donation
today.
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About Wild Care
Since 1994, Wild Care has treated injured, ill and orphaned native wildlife for release back into the wild capable of independent survival, prevented wildlife casualties through public education and counseling, and engaged the community in conservation services through volunteerism.
Wild Care does not charge the public for our services. We accept wildlife regardless of a rescuer's ability to make a donation; and we never compromise quality of care or the dignity of an animal's life for fundraising purposes.
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