Dining to Donate!

On Wednesday, June 23rd, You can help Volunteers for Wildlife out simply by grabbing a bite to eat! If you dine at/or take out from Applebee's in Miller Place between 12 pm and 10 pm, Ten percent of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Volunteers for Wildlife! You must present this flyer to your server/the take out counter when placing your order. All donated proceeds will go directly towards the care of hundreds of injured and orphaned wildlife patients!

The Release of a litter of White-footed Mice

A litter of six White-footed mice was admitted to the Wildlife Hospital earlier this month after being orphaned. Unfortunately, the mother mouse was found electrocuted after chewing through a power cord.

The mice weighed in at 4 grams the day they were admitted. Imagine holding 4 paper-clips in your hand, this was just about what one of these babies weighed.

Eileen Hagerman, one of our mammal experts, began to hand feed the litter a milk replacer appropriate for fast growing mammals like White-footed mice. They required 24 hour care for the first 2 weeks of their life, going everywhere with Eileen.

Once they began to eat formula out of a tiny dish, their care was turned over to the staff and volunteers at the clinic. After 3 weeks they weaned onto solid foods eating fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains.

On May 19, 2010 they were released back to the wild to live out their lives. A very special thank you to Eileen Hagerman, and the volunteers who cared for these tiny little patients.

Virginia Opossum Release

On May 1, 2010 a juvenile male Virginia Opossum was admitted to the wildlife hospital after being attacked by a dog, unfortunately a common injury to Long Island's native wildlife. Many of our family pets find, chase, or even hunt wildlife in our own backyards. One way to deter this from happening is to monitor your pet while it is in your yard. Additionally, walking your dog on a lead instead of allowing them free access to your backyard habitat can prevent wildlife injury.

This young male Opossum was successfully rehabilitated and released back to the wild.

Opossums are North America's only marsupials. Although opossums may look frightening, they are more afraid of people; their main defense is to "play possum" or play dead to trick their predators into thinking they are not alive. Seldom will an opossum bite as a means of defense.

If you find an injured or orphaned opossum, call our hotline (631)423-0982, or email our wildlife advisory for help.

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

The American Kestrel is one of the true falcons being in the Genus Falco.  He is the smallest falcon found in North America weighing on average only 117g (4.1 oz)!  In the wild the Kestrel is seen perched on wires bobbing his tail.  The small stature of this bird is not to be taken as an indication of its might.  The American Kestrel is known to hunt small birds and mammals.  Kestrels can be found throughout North and South America. They are common in New York City, as they nest and watch for prey on the ledges of tall buildings.

Identifying F. sparverius can be easily done.  The blue-gray wings combined with the bold barred rufous back make for a striking appearance.  A distinct pattern on the head and face make the Kestrel a handsome creature.

Buster lives at Volunteers for Wildlife as a permanent resident.  He was brought to Volunteers for Wildlife in 2000.  He helps Lauren and the education volunteers in education programs like Raptors of Long Island.  The program is suitable for grades 2 through adult and can be anywhere from 45 minutes up to 1 hour.  Our education programs are your chance to meet some live hawks, owls, and falcons that live right in your own backyard. You can learn about their unique adaptations while getting to see them up-close!  Undoubtedly if you are involved with one of our education programs you will get to hear Busters call.  The American Kestrel has a screaming shrill described as kli kli kli kli kli kli kli or killy killy killy.

"Kidnapped" Cottontails Return to Wild

Wildlife rehabilitation is an ever changing field that affords those involved the opportunity to work closely with a number of different species of animals. The other, more often overlooked, side of the field is the opportunity to interact with the public regarding wildlife. Generally, most people are happy to see wildlife and learn about them. However, on a few rare instances, we have encountered Long Islanders who are sadly not very enthused about our wild neighbors.

On April 7th, while at a veterinary office with one of our permanent animals, we encountered one of these more difficult types. A woman, with a box of four juvenile Eastern Cottontail rabbits in hand, had brought the babies to the veterinarian as she did not want them in her yard. Despite encouragement to reunite the babies with their mother, she adamantly refused to return them. These babies were young, healthy and were "kidnapped" from their nest while the mother was away. We admitted the four cottontails to our clinic.

As an animal that spends its life on the run from hawks and other predators, Eastern cottontails can be very stressed in captivity. Their stress levels make them very difficult to raise. The cottontails were tube fed a milk replacer at our hospital multiple times a day. Before long, they began to eat grasses, clover and dandelion on their own. On April 23, our volunteers and staff set the cottontails free again in the beautiful Walled Garden at Caumsett State Historic Park. Within minutes, they were acclimated to their surroundings and enjoying the delicious weeds and plants. (Photos of the release are below.)

Eastern Cottontails are the only native rabbit indigenous to Long Island. They are a medium sized rabbit with brown fur and a white cotton tail. A single mother rabbit can give birth to as many as 36 babies in one year. The mother rabbit will pull fur from her body and make a nest in a shallow depression in the ground. The young are often mistaken for abandoned as the mother only visits the nest in the early morning and late evening to feed the babies. Young cottontails are independent by the time they reach about 5 weeks of age.

A Visitor from Quebec!

On Monday, March 8th, Volunteers for Wildlife received an injured Canada Goose from our neighbors at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, New York. The goose was found on the side of a road next to the Sanctuary.

Upon admission, the goose was given a complete physical exam by our staff. He was emaciated and dehydrated. In addition, he had a heavy parasite load of feather lice and intestinal parasites. The goose was unable to stand. His legs were stiff and his feet knuckled under his body weight. The exam also revealed that this goose had been banded with a band from the North American Bird Banding Lab and a foot tag. Bird bands allow individuals to be tracked over a period of time. We processed his band (Band#: 0988-09312) and learned the age, gender and origin of our patient!

0988-09312 had been initially banded in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada on July 6, 2006 as a young gosling before learning to fly. It seems this Canada Goose may have been a migratory one coming down to Long Island for just the winter months.

During his rehabilitation at our hospital, the goose received supportive care with tube feedings, deworming and a homeopathic course of treatment for joint stiffness. Over the days, he got stronger, developed a hearty appetite and put on a substantial two hundred and twenty five grams of body mass. We moved him to our yard for exercise and a more natural environment. On March 16th, the four year old goose had gained enough strength to fly again. Upon seeing a resident flock of Canada Geese, he took flight over our fence and joined the flock!

On Long Island, Canada Geese are found in large numbers. The ideal landscape on Long Island, with plentiful water sources and well manicured lawns and golf courses, encourages many of the native geese to stay on the Island year round. Although their numbers are plentiful, we were very glad we were able to help the goose recover so he can hopefully migrate North again!

Rehabilitation and Release of a Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

We recently released a male Mallard,  Anas platyrhynchos, that was rehabilitated at the Wildlife Hospital of Volunteers for Wildlife.   The patient was rescued by a concerned citizen of Wantagh who observed the duck on his front lawn for an extended period of time.  The gentleman called the Wildlife Advisory Telephone (631) 423-0982 for help with the bird.

 

After an initial physical examination, the Mallard was found to be weak, dehydrated, obtunded (mentally dull) and thin.  Dr. Loudon at the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island, was consulted to ensure that toxicity was not the cause of our patients symptoms.  Blood tests indicated that the duck was not suffering from lead poisoning and seemed to be overall inconclusive.  He remained at the wildlife hospital for supportive care and medical treatment.  It was noted that he had passed many adult Helminths while in the bath.  Parasites in the digestive tract are common in waterfowl.  This particular duck had a heavy parasite load.   Following the successful treatment of his "worms" the Mallard was released at Twin Lakes Preserve in Wantagh. 



Volunteers for Wildlife would like to thank the staff and Veterinarians at the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island (VMCLI) for their generous support with this and many other cases.