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Happy Spring Everyone!
Wow! What a winter! In what is typically our slower season, we have been quite busy caring for wildlife impacted by recent storms and extreme weather. But long at last we are starting to enjoy the warm sunshine and longer days. Birds are singing and the Osprey have begun returning to Cape Cod. A sign of hope.
As this wonderful spring activity brings the Cape back to life, Wild Care is preparing for its busiest time of year. Last spring and summer we cared for over 174 orphaned birds and 267 orphaned mammals, and we hatched dozens of turtle eggs in our incubators. In 2025, Wild Care received 1,818 individuals across 146 species.
Our wildlife helpline is open to answer questions seven days a week from 9am until 5pm. When in doubt give us a call: 508-240-2255. We are here to help.
Sunny days ahead!
Stephanie Ellis
Executive Director
READ our Spring Tips to Help Keep Baby Animals Wild
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SAVE THE DATE for a very special
Mother's Day Weekend Tea Party
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Celebrate moms with Wild Care at a special Mother’s Day Weekend tea party at the Crosby Mansion in Brewster on Saturday, May 9th. Enjoy high tea service featuring tea from Cape & Islands Tea, and delicious jams and honey from Lighthouse Keepers Pantry with vegan finger foods and sweets from Herbivore Patisserie. Wild Care’s Director Stephanie Ellis will talk about spring wildlife moms and the Chimney Swifts that call the mansion home. Take a tour of this stunning Colonial Revival mansion, wear your best fascinator hat and you could win a meet and greet with our dapper turtle Ambassador, Garv! Harpist Thom Dutton will perform ambient music for this special event.
Seating is limited to 60 guests for a $85 donation each guest.
Last year's event was a sell-out!
BE AN EARLY BIRD, GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
SEEKING EVENT SPONSORS: We are seeking event sponsors, and a special sponsor to honor Wild Care’s staff of dedicated wildlife moms who care for all our spring babies. Sponsorships include one ticket to the event. For more information about sponsorship, please email Eva.
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The Onions Have Eyes!
The produce aisle is usually full of healthy greens and veggies, but on this day the little something green was not what you’d expect. While stocking shelves, a worker at Stop & Shop in Provincetown saw something looking back at them from the onions! A small Cuban Tree Frog was nestled inside a shipment of onions that came from Georgia.
This type of frog is only native to Cuba, Cayman Islands, and Bermuda. They are sometimes found in the southern states, but are invasive so cannot be released here. The frog was thin and dehydrated when it arrived at Wild Care. It is now looking plump, healthy and eating well in it’s new leafy habitat. Since it is non-releasable, it will “stick around” with us at Wild Care as an educational animal.
We’ve heard that potatoes have eyes, but never onions!
| Frog Habitat and Photos - Chelsea Peck | |  | |
We've received our
first baby squirrels
of the season!
These eyes-closed baby squirrels were found inside a car engine at Jiffy Lube in Orleans and unfortunately a reunion with mom was not possible.
Please follow these simple steps to help reduce the number of orphaned squirrels this season:
-If you have a car or a piece of machinery that has not been moved for a while - open the hood, or move the vehicle frequently, to discourage squirrels and other rodents from nesting. Rodents do not want to move into a home that is unpredictable and “unsafe".
-Dead trees and snags. Eastern Gray Squirrels will nest in tree cavities, but also build large round nests of dead leaves. If you must trim or remove trees this winter, please check carefully to ensure that they are not inhabited by squirrels, owls, or roosting birds.
-If you find a squirrel nest on the ground with babies in it, place them into a shoebox with gloved hands, and provide a heating aid. Do not give them food or water. Note where the nest fell, and watch for activity from momma squirrel. Please call us. 508-240-2255. Eastern Gray Squirrels build SEVERAL nests, and we can often reunite them with their young. Squirrels are very attentive mothers. We can provide tips for encouraging momma squirrel to move her young.
Video Leah Myrbeck
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Turtle Time!
Help Keep Them Safe
as They Emerge
From Brumation
Box turtles and aquatic turtles on Cape Cod will be emerging from their hibernation state beginning in April. Some have recently emerged! Here are some tips for keeping them safe:
-Never move a turtle to a new location. Some species have small territories and may spend their life trying to navigate back to where they were found. It's detrimental to place a turtle into an inappropriate habitat, and is illegal to relocate ANY wildlife in the state of Massachusetts.
-Several species of turtles in MA are protected under the MA Endangered Species and Natural Heritage Programs. It is critically important that turtles are left where they are found. It is illegal to possess most species found in MA as pets.
-If you find a hatchling turtle this spring, it likely hatched late last summer or early fall and stayed in the nest. Do not move hatchlings to water or a new location. Place them under leaf litter where they are found, and let them navigate on their own. Mom laid her eggs there for a reason!
-If a turtle is crossing the road, move it to the side in which it is crossing
if it is safe for you to do so. Wear gloves and handle turtles with care.
-If you find an injured turtle, contact Wild Care with location:
Helpline 508-240-2255, 365 days/year, daily.
MassWildlife: Guide to Helping MA Turtles
| | Wild Care had a few turtles spend the winter in our care, and recently quite a few cold-stunned turtles that ventured out during a balmy 60 degree day, only to have snow and freezing temperatures the next. It’s almost time for them to venture back out to the wild strong, healthy and ready to go! | | |
Eastern Box Turtle
This sweet little Eastern Box Turtle was found “boxed up” in the road. He had some old injuries most likely from being hit by cars including pieces of his shell missing, a missing back foot, and a wound on his other back leg that we could only treat when sedated since he would not unbox himself. It took him a few weeks before he became comfortable enough to finally unbox himself and eat.
What defines a “box” turtle is that hinged plastron. Many might think all turtles can retreat completely into their shells and close up, but that’s not the case. They vary greatly with how much they can even fit inside. Sea turtles can’t retract much at all. Neither can snappers. We just love all of our incredible turtles!
PHOTO Chelsea Peck
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Diamondback Terrapins
Three tiny Diamondback Terrapin hatchlings spent the winter at Wild Care after they were found in Wellfleet at the end of December when something dug up their nest. They were still in eggs when they came in, and sadly two didn’t make it. The remaining turtles are eating well, and will most likely be released in May or June.
The Diamondback Terrapin is a threatened species in the state of MA. Wellfleet is home to the most northerly population of the Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). This striking species is the only turtle in North America that makes its home exclusively in brackish water, where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water.
PHOTO Chelsea Peck
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Jeepers Creepers Did You Hear Those Peepers?
With the recent full moon, warm temps and heavy rain - amphibians are emerging! Please drive safely at night and watch for crossing amphibians - especially on the backroads of the outer Cape.
CHECK YOUR WINDOW WELLS: It's important to check your window wells over the next few weeks to ensure that salamanders are not trapped inside. Plastic window well covers often have a small gap that salamanders can slip through.
IF YOU FIND A SALAMANDER
IN YOUR WINDOW WELL:
With clean hands or nitrile gloves, place the salamanders under moist leaves in your yard. If there is water in your yard, moved them to the water or under leaves at water's edge. Do NOT move salamanders to a new location. When in doubt, call our Helpline for advice: 508-240-2255.
Window wells are a death trap for small animals. Placing a branch or a board into your wells year round will allow animals to climb out. You could save a life.
Learn more about Salamanders in Massachusetts
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Spotted Salamander Returns Home After a Winter Stay at Wild Care
The full moon of March combined with temps above 42F and heavy rain are the perfect combination for salamanders. This stimulates them to emerge from hibernation and begin their breeding cycle. The recent warm weather was a perfect time for us to release our salamander patient!
| | This Spotted Salamander was brought to us by Erin Hilley in early January after she found it in the snow after a storm. We were in a deep freeze which would have prevented the salamander from finding appropriate shelter. We decided to overwinter the salamander at Wild Care until weather allowed for a release. What beautiful creatures! She was placed back at the exact location where she was found (GPS) right near the water. | | |
Join Wild Care at these fun and informative
WILDLIFE TALKS and EVENTS
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Living With Our
Wild Neighbors
Centerville Public Library
Wednesday, April 8th @ 11am
Meet Garv, an Eastern Box Turtle, and an Eastern Screech Owl at this fun and informative talk with Wild Care! Join Wild Care’s Amy Sanders to learn about the biggest impacts faced by local wildlife, about the Cape’s most common species, and what to do when you find animals in distress and how you can help.
Learn More & Register Here
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Flock Party
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Saturday, April 18th
10am til 3pm
Celebrate the wild world of birds during this fun, family‑friendly open house! Event highlights: Wild Care will have a live owl presentation, bird-themed games, crafts, bird walk, educational talks and more.
Learn More & Register Here
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It’s A Spring Thing
Eastham Council On Aging
Tuesday, April 21st
5:30pm - 7pm
It’s Springtime. Love is in the air! Join Stephanie to learn about spring wildlife activities taking place right in your own backyard on Cape Cod. These include salamander emergence, bird migration, owl nesting, and many resident species that breed early in the season. Stephanie will also discuss what to do if you find an orphaned baby songbird, rabbit, squirrel and more. Don’t miss this informative and fun talk.
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Harwich Regional Health and Enviornment Fair
204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building, Harwich
Saturday, April 25th
11am - 2pm
Community fair focused on health, wellness, and environmental awareness. Wild Care volunteer Michael Brown will have information on how to safely “Trash Your Tackle” to protect wildlife from derelict fishing debris.
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Osprey Arrive on Cape Cod in Spring to Build Their Nests
Cape Cod is a beautiful place to spend Spring and Summer especially if you are an Osprey! Osprey return here right around St. Patrick’s Day every year and start building their nests and readying them for raising chicks. They prefer to make their homes on high platforms and can sometimes choose a place that is less than ideal like a rooftop or chimney. The time to stop them from choosing a nesting spot that is dangerous is BEFORE they invest too much time building. Once a nest is complete and has eggs or chicks it is illegal to remove it without a permit from MassWildlife or the assistance of USDA. Acting early can make a much better outcome for all. It will the give the Osprey a chance to nest in another location. If you are a seasonal resident, please check on your home in early spring, and be proactive, you can help these beautiful birds continue to thrive here on the Cape! We hope you will also consider installing an Osprey platform in your own backyard, giving them a permanent safe place to nest.
Wild Care’s Executive Director Stephanie Ellis shares some good advice in this video created by Lower Cape TV: WATCH HERE
PHOTO: Kevin Friel of The Osprey Project repairs a nest platform in Mashpee. We successfully placed the single chick back into the nest after repairs.
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Join Wild Care Executive Director Stephanie Ellis
and Mike O’Connor owner
of the Bird Watcher’s General Store in Orleans talk about ways to prevent bird window strikes on Facebook Live
Friday, April 24th @ 10am
This talk will be recorded and posted
on our YouTube channel afterwards
for those who cannot watch live.
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Check out our Amazon and Chewy WISH LISTS and donate much
needed supplies to help the animals being cared for at Wild Care.
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