Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
@BRWildlifeCtr
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Our mission is to ensure the future of native wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation, education and research.
Boyce, VA
Joined May 2016
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Found a wild animal in need? Call our wildlife hotline at (540)837-9000 to talk to one of our staff rehabilitators about your situation! We aim to rescue, rehabilitate, & release injured, orphaned, & ill native Virginia wildlife back to the wild. Donate to help us help wildlife!
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Turn your volume up!
If you're used to hearing Bald Eagles in movies, you should know that their call is often dubbed over with the call of a Red-tailed Hawk, as theirs is considered a much more “majestic & powerful” voice.
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POV: you've just admitted a great-horned owlet and open the box excitedly, only to find that the feeling is NOT mutual...
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Despite our pleading, Dopey, our Eastern Screech Owl, politely declined picking a winner of the Super Bowl. She says she’d prefer to use her clairvoyant skills for good instead (when she’ll be getting her next mouse-dinner)
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Do not paint turtles! Do not allow your children to paint turtles. There is nothing fun or cute about painting a turtle.
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At the Center, we collect full sets of feathers from birds that don’t survive so that they can be donated to a bird in need – a process called imping!
This first year Black Vulture was brought into care after being found down & unable to fly.
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When someone calls us to ask us how they should release the 3 baby raccoons they’ve been raising for 2 months
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This immature Bald Eagle was rescued by the finder after being spotted in a field for multiple days, eating a deer carcass & not flying. On exam, the only sign of trauma was a beak fracture, & blood tests came back with a lead level of 35 micrograms per deciliter.
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Warning: Dead Animals, Graphic Photos
This June we set aside patients that passed away due to cat attacks. These photos are the result. We hope they encourage those who allow their cats to free-roam outside to reconsider, for not just the wildlife, but the safety of their pets.
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“Sorry I was late to work, there were Red-Shouldered Hawks in my neighbors yard fighting.”
One of our staff members was leaving their home & witnessed something spectacular - two male Red-shouldered Hawks fighting, with talons locked, as a female looked on.
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Sitting at Thanksgiving Dinner listening to Aunt Carol talk about how her outdoor cat is “happier outdoors,” & there’s just “no way to keep him inside.”
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A story of “if it fits it sits” - baby bird edition.
It starts w/ 2 young American Robins & a young Common Grackle. Generally we don’t like putting grackles with other birds, but since he was alone, we decided to let him shack up w/ the robins until we found another roomie.
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You may see that we repeat one thing in most of our posts: if you find an animal in need, get it to a permitted rehabilitator RIGHT AWAY! In this photo, you can see exactly why we put so much emphasis on this.
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Warning: Long Thread Alert 🧵
CW: Euthanasia
This Red Fox kit was brought to us by Frederick County Animal Control for rabies testing. This kit was found by a homeowner who believed it needed assistance.
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Here we have 2 Eastern Cottontails. One was brought to us immediately after a domestic animal attack; the other was kept by the finder for multiple days. Can you tell which is which?
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This Bald Eagle was admitted last night with lead toxicity & is currently being treated with chelating agents.
While "trauma" is the most common cause of eagle admits, 90%+ of our adult eagles have lead in their systems, with ~20% having levels considered clinically toxic.
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Turtles are not IN their shells, they ARE their shells! So what happens if the bone of that shell dies?
This adult Woodland Box Turtle was admitted to our hospital with a variety of medical issues, including osteonecrosis (bone death) in the bone of her carapace (upper shell).
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We currently have 4 Striped Skunk kits in care! We’re often asked how we care for these patients without getting sprayed (it’s more than just “chill vibes”).
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This uniquely patterned Turkey Vulture was spotted down in the finder's yard unable to fly. After a day with no improvement, the finder contained the bird & brought them to us for care.
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For the 2nd year in a row, our 1st patient of the new year was a Big Brown Bat!
The finder feared the bat had been smushed when moving a bale of hay & the tiny patient was brought in for evaluation yesterday morning. Luckily, no fractures nor other signs of trauma were found.
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When we receive calls about baby raptors, it is typically a situation where renesting is the best option. However, if the baby is sick or injured, reuniting isn’t appropriate - which was the case for this nestling Barred Owl who suffered a broken leg when they fell from the nest.
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The finder of this squirrel was hiking when this youngster ran right up to him. Thinking something was wrong, as this is unusual behavior, he contained the baby and brought it to us. This finder did exactly what should've been done in this case!
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In rehab, wildlife often present with unique challenges, that mean we have to adjust in unique ways. This Cooper's hawk was found in a homeowner's front yard dazed & unable to stand.
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This adult Barred owl was brought in after they were found down in the road. While there were minimal signs of trauma, you’ll never guess what this bird’s true issue was!
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No one wanted this animal to be euthanized - it was a heart-breaking situation for finders, law enforcement, public health officials, and our team alike. We hope that through posts like these, we can save wild (and human!) lives through prevention and understanding.
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This young Eastern Cottontail was found in a finder's yard with a front leg injury outside of the nest. Despite the distance, this finder went above & beyond & brought this baby to us all the way from Fredericksburg, VA - nearly a two hour drive to give this baby a second chance.
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This meal just cost us $78 at Newark Airport - this is why Americans think the economy is terrible
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The difference treatment can make!
This Cooper's Hawk was brought in by Prince William County Animal Services after the bird was found unable to fly - & we can see why!
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Listen we don’t make the rules but we need you all to pay attention this year
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This stunning male Woodland Box turtle was hit by a vehicle this week & suffered a fracture to his plastron (the bottom shell).
The fracture was relatively clean & fresh, & staff was able to realign & stabilize the pieces to allow for proper healing.
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Listen, we’re willing to level with you. We know you want the cute, & we want to reach more people we can educate. If you get us to 1500 followers, we’ll give you a full minute video of juvenile raccoons playing in a laundry basket. That’s only 158 followers! A bargain, really.
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Big thank you to Frederick County Sheriff's Office for going above & beyond to rescue this Great Horned Owl from a filthy situation!
This owl was found in the wastewater treatment chemical vault at Lake Frederick, covered in sewage.
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This adult Eastern Cottontail was admitted after suffering a suspected predator attack.
On exam, she was hypothermic (low body temperature), & paired puncture wounds (suspicious for bite marks) were found along the right side of her head, neck, & thigh.
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We released 12 Virginia Opossums today!
All 12 came to us as orphans too young to be on their own - some found alone, some on their already-deceased mother. We’re grateful we’re able to give these youngsters a second chance at a wildlife!
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The easiest option? Make the switch away from lead ammunition to copper or other non-lead options. Lead ammunition not only poisons wildlife, but also the families & communities that use lead ammunition or consume donated meat that was hunted w/ lead. Make the switch today!
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@RealBrad_Miller
Yes, we are chelating the lead out of the body and providing supportive care, but we won’t know how much damage has been done until later. So far this eagle is doing better this morning in care
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May we offer our own Superb Owl to the timeline
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This handsome Silver-haired Bat was brought to us after being found out in the same spot for multiple hours during the recent cold snap. After discussion with our front desk staff, the finder safely contained him without any bare-handed contact & brought him to us for evaluation.
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As a reminder, it is neither legal nor appropriate to keep a wild bird without permits. This Blue Jay was found by a finder who tried renesting. However, when renesting failed, this individual kept the bird for 2 years, despite being in an area with multiple permitted rehabbers.
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We've still got plenty of baby & juvenile birds in care - with a whopping 40 birds in our Avian Nursery & Porch!
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These 2 Red Fox kits were rescued jointly by our staff alongside Kristi's Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education after a call was made reporting that an adult fox had not been seen returning to a known den for days, & kits were leaving the den & wandering around.
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We are our patients’ voices, and our patients are pleading - please keep your cats indoors. This poor male Northern Cardinal - with missing tail feathers, abrasions over his skull, a broken leg - didn’t deserve it.
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We'd like to introduce you all to a very special bird - a non-releasable male American Kestrel! Better yet - we want you to help us name him!
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These turtles use sunlight, which is absorbed through their shells when basking, to make vitamin D. Paint prevents this absorption. Vitamin D is important in development, growth, bone maintenance, & much more.
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We understand that not everyone knows about rabies, high-risk vector species, or even what rabies testing entails. We don't expect everyone to know these things, but we hope through education, we can prevent needless loss that results from situations like this.
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The finder of this Silver-Haired Bat was concerned when they noticed they’d been in the same spot for more than 24 hours. They safely contained him with no bare-handed contact & got him to us for examination, upon which we found evidence of a potential predator interaction.
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Painting turtles non-natural colors can attract predators & toxic chemicals from the paint can cause additional issues. The shell is made of living bone & is part of the turtle's skeleton.
If you need to paint, use a canvas not a living animal! They’re already works of art.
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After 2.5 months in care, our skull & shoulder fracture/lead poisoned Bald Eagle has finally been released!
This patient had a guarded prognosis on intake, but with lead chelation, bandaging, pain medications, & physical therapy, this eagle recovered fully & has returned home.
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We see cases like this every year. People believe that, despite having no experience, training, or legal permitting, they can raise a "cute" wild animal despite their very specific needs. In fact, the internet makes it seem easy & appropriate - this is far from the truth.
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Alright, you guys got us to 1500! As promised for your service, enjoy this (ethically sourced) video of our juvenile raccoons today, discovering that leaves inside a basket is actually ✨the most fun✨
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Situations like this can be prevented by calling professionals immediately, not handling wild animals, or only handling animals with protective equipment such as gloves to prevent saliva transmission or bites.
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PATIENT UPDATE!
After several baths, antibiotics, pain medication, & anti-inflammatories, this owl is feeling MUCH better. They’re eating well, showing proper defensive behaviors, & are even interacting with enrichment. They love shredding anything they can get their talons on!
Big thank you to Frederick County Sheriff's Office for going above & beyond to rescue this Great Horned Owl from a filthy situation!
This owl was found in the wastewater treatment chemical vault at Lake Frederick, covered in sewage.
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It allows non-flighted birds to fly immediately, helping them maintain muscle condition and return home MUCH quicker!
We are happy to report that the procedure went well, and we are hopeful for release soon!
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Small patient alert!
This hatchling Snapping Turtle was found in a homeowner's yard cold, lethargic, & covered in mud. Concerned by this behavior & time of year, the homeowner brought them in for care.
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Barbed wire can be a huge threat to wildlife – especially birds of prey! This Eastern Screech Owl was our most recent barbed wire victim.
Feathers & the patagium (the skin between the wrist & shoulder that allows the wings to extend) are easily caught up in this wire.
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A first for our facility, this handsome male Long-tailed Duck was brought to us after he was found down in a roadway. Thanks to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, this duck was rescued and transported to our hospital for evaluation.
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PATIENT UPDATE!
This Barred Owl was admitted almost a month ago after being found down along a roadside. They had suffered fractured metacarpals (part of the "finger" bones) of the left wing, which required surgery to place an external fixator and stabilize the bones.
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As the only wildlife hospital in the NOVA area, we rely on many other organizations to get orphaned, injured, & ill wildlife to us for treatment from various locations.
Big thanks to the
@AWLAArlington
for responding to a call about a fox in distress with a trap on his neck.
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This infant Striped Skunk was found along the side of the road next to a deceased mother. Emaciated & extremely lethargic, he was brought to the center & was found to be covered in maggots & fly eggs. He had a maggot-filled tail wound, as well as infected eyes, ears, & paw pads.
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This Eastern Screech Owl was a victim of garden netting & came to the Center with constriction injuries around the neck. On intake, this owl was extremely lethargic & had difficulty standing, but luckily had not sustained any major injuries.
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PATIENT UPDATE: RELEASED!
We recently posted about the adult male Virginia Opossum that came to us after getting his jaws stuck on a metal animal trap.
He suffered from mouth lacerations down to his jaw bone, & required antibiotics, pain medications, & surgical repair.
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PATIENT UPDATE!
Despite being minimally responsive on intake after an extended period of time stuck to a glue trap, this Southern Flying Squirrel is doing better than we expected! He spent >24hrs in our ICU incubator, receiving supportive care & rehydration.
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When a caller asks us to ID the baby animal they found & the photo is them open-mouth kissing a baby raccoon
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Eastern cottontails are being born, & we’ve already admitted many attacked by domestic pets. We anticipate these numbers will rise over the next few months.
Help us help them by knowing what to do if you find a rabbit nest /have babies that have been attacked by a pet!
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While attempting to catch a video of our Commong Grackle “licking his lips”, we captured the tail-end of our story, the moral of which is: we need bigger mealworm dishes, er, nests, apparently.
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PATIENT UPDATE!
This Long-tailed Duck that was rescued out of a roadway by Animal Welfare League of Arlington has successfully been released!
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This adult male Pileated Woodpecker was brought to us after he was found in a roadway, dazed & unable to fly. As we see with most impact traumas from car & window strikes, this bird had bruising on various parts of his body & bleeding into the lungs, making respiration difficult.
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We released >45 patients this past week including this group of 5 Virginia Opossums!
Each of these patients came to us with varying degrees of trauma & all were cold & dehydrated on intake after being found on deceased, hit-by-car mothers.
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You all may have closed your pools but we’re on summer time still here 😤
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Cats belong indoors, in secured enclosures, or on a leash & harness when outside - not freely roaming to harm & kill wildlife, or putting themselves in danger. They (and our wildlife) deserve better.
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This Northern Ring-necked snake was brought into care after they were dug up from their brumation during a construction project. Workers noticed the little snake appeared to have an injury and brought them in for care.
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This immature Bald Eagle was found down & unable to fly or maneuver well at a Loudoun County landfill late last week.
Thank you to the amazing officers of
@LoudounAnimals
who were able contain this bird & Kristi's Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education for transport!
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This little Eastern Screech Owl is finally starting to feel better, despite losing vision in their right eye!
This patient was found on the side of a road, likely hit by a vehicle.
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And here we were, thinking Baby Season had finally reached a close!
These Eastern Gray Squirrels are nearly 5 weeks old, meaning they were likely born sometime in mid to late October. Generally, Eastern Gray Squirrels in our area have their 2nd round of babies in July-September.
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Listen, we didn’t think we needed to say this in the year 2023, but please, for the love of not spreading zoonotic diseases & parasites, Do Not Do This. A small cardboard box, with a baby blanket or other soft item, on a heating pad on low is just fine. Please, we are begging
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Rabies is a virus that is fatal in mammals once symptoms appear. Because of the near-100% mortality rate, rabies exposures are taken extremely seriously.
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This Barred Owl was brought in to us after being found down along a roadside with broken metacarpals ("fingers") on the left wing. Due to the owl's critical condition, surgery was not possible until the following day.
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We've officially received our 1st Red Fox kit of the year.
This kit was found alone on a road, snuggled up against a deceased adult. Since he was the only kit found, we suspect the adult may have been moving the baby to another location when they were struck & killed.
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It's important to also note that interactions between domestic animals & wild rabies vector species, like an attack, or sharing food & water dishes, can also be potential exposures & require reporting.
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This Eastern Screech Owl had a rough night. We suspect they were hit by a car after they were found by a Good Samaritan who was concerned they couldn't fly.
Not only does this little owl have a broken ulna (wing bone), but they also have potential damage to both eyes.
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This
#EarthDay
, make a difference in your local habitat by keeping cats indoors. This little fledgling House Finch could’ve grown up with his family, had he not been attacked by a cat. Due to injuries sustained & risk of infection, he must be raised here now, orphaned.
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This Eastern Ratsnake unfortunately consumed not one, but TWO ceramic eggs. Ceramic eggs are often used to show chickens where to lay in the coop - however, they look & smell exactly like the real thing & can be hazardous to snakes.
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A first for our hospital - this immature Golden Eagle was found down in a field last night, very close to the Center. Staff was able to easily contain the bird. Intake exam revealed no obvious fractures or trauma, yet the eagle was very thin & covered in mites and lice.
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It’s that time of year again when we receive multiple calls each day about fawns. Luckily, >95% of these concerns are about fawns exhibiting completely normal behavior! So, if you see a fawn, what’s normal?
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This adult Bald Eagle was rescued from Summit Point, WV, after being seen down & unable to fly near the finder's home. Thankfully, the finders recognized this bird needed help, & with the aid of a falconer friend, they were able to capture & transport the eagle to us.
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This American Robin's finder called to discuss an unusual situation - a bird on her property wouldn’t leave her alone! The bird would follow her around & even try to land on her. She was concerned by this abnormal behavior, & easily contained & transported the bird to us.
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We admitted >120 patients this past week - every one of these animals truly needed assistance.
Thank you to the amazing finders who have gone above & beyond to get these animals the care they need.
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After monitoring them for a few days, they were promptly released back home where they were found!
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Every season we're able to successfully renest many baby raptors, but unfortunately, some can't be renested. Sometimes this is due to severe injuries that require care, but in the unique case of these three Red-shouldered Hawk babies, human health and safety was the issue.
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This juvenile Mourning Dove was found in a parking lot unable to fly. On exam, this bird was showing neurological signs & increased respiratory rate, but no obvious signs of trauma. After taking blood for diagnostics, we found the reason -
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& unlike domestic animals, there’s no proven "wait period" to confirm if a wild animal has rabies - some animals have even been shown to be able to spread rabies before symptoms appear.
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These 2 infant groundhogs serve as a reminder of why you should never trap & relocate animals, especially during the Spring & Summer months!
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Thank you Deputy Animal Control Officer Iames of the Prince William County Animal Shelter for rescuing & transporting this Bald Eagle after a member of the public found it down unable to fly.
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Lucky number 3!
This fox kit was lucky to have been rescued by an attentive homeowner - after noticing a dead adult nearby, they eventually began finding deceased kits scattered around.
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We’ve got a pretty cool case in care right now that covers a variety of important educational topics so, buckle in for a pretty long thread: WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY about feeding wildlife, habituation, welfare of wildlife in captivity, & blood transfusions in wildlife! 🧵
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🛑STOP🛑
This is your mid-week munch-break with one of our Silver-haired Bats we have in care 🦇
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We’re happy to report that one of our dog-attacked mom opossums was released this past week with her babies!
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This Carolina Wren was having a rough time when they got stuck to a glue trap, likely in an attempt to snack on bugs that were also caught on the trap. As you can see by the photo, this poor bird got nearly their entire body stuck.
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What’s the normal/healthy amount of lead expected to be found in any animal's blood? Zero.
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This young bat was brought into care after being found down on the floor of a barn.
Lucky for this baby, he was alert, very active & vocal, well hydrated, & in good body condition (appropriate fat & muscle deposits).
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To protect the health of the people who had potentially been exposed, the Health Department elected to have this fox tested for rabies, which unfortunately requires euthanasia as brain stem is used for testing.
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