Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center

11/06/2024

To help show our appreciation to our amazing staff for National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we've set up a Kudoboard—a digital space for anyone to share a message of gratitude for our staff! Please join us!

Have a memorable wildlife patient or receive assistance from a wildlife staff member or another heartwarming experience or memorable moment to share? Maybe you simply want to thank the team for all they do. Whether it’s a quick note, a photo of your pet or wildlife, a GIF, or even a short video, your kind words mean the world!

How to share your message of appreciation:
1️⃣Click here to visit our Kudoboard: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/g68OW00y
2️⃣ Select "Add to Board" to start your message
3️⃣ Feel free to add a memory, photo, or any message that shows our team how valued they are!

Thank you for helping us celebrate the incredible people behind our shelter. Let’s make sure they know how loved and appreciated they are by our community for all they do everyday to help people help animals!

11/02/2024

This spring we received a call from some local homeowners. An Eastern Gray Squirrel that they had been watching for several years suddenly seemed to be struggling and stumbling in their yard. This squirrel was very recognizable from her strawberry blonde fur and short tail! The homeowners told us her offspring in the area share her unique color.

Concerned about her condition, they sent us a video of her wobbly movements and asked if they could bring her to the Wildlife Center. We verified she should come in, and the homeowners set out a live trap right away. Within a couple of days she was caught!

When she was admitted there were no clear physical injuries, but she did seem to be moving better than she was in the video we saw from a few days before. It was encouraging that she was already showing signs of improvement. Some nervous system injuries improve with time, but others are permanent. Only time would tell if her uncoordinated movements would continue to improve with treatment. Thankfully, she could be safe and protected at DCHS's Wildlife Center.

But a week into care there was a complication. She had some lumps in her abdomen, and they had grown... An ultrasound confirmed the lumps were baby squirrels. She was pregnant! All of a sudden we were working with another timeline. We wondered, would we be able to get her healthy and back to her wild home before the babies arrive?

Her movements indoors appeared significantly improved... but still not quite normal. We decided to move her to an outdoor enclosure to reduce her stress, and doubled her food portions. We kept her shelter close to the ground so she could easily access it while her coordination improved.

Trail cameras allowed us to keep an eye on her without stressing her, and they showed her mild symptoms. She has to constantly readjust herself in order to stay upright on this branch. [video shows squirrel tipping forward while trying to groom herself, using her tail to balance, and shifting her feet] We moved her box higher to encourage her to move around the cage. Practice makes perfect!

Squirrels need to have extremely good control of their movements since they climb to tall heights, walk along thin power lines, and jump from one high branch to another when moving among the trees. Since poor coordination can be very dangerous, we were cautious about not releasing her until she appeared to be functioning normally. We watched and waited as she got further along in her pregnancy, and slowly improved.

As she got bigger, it was just a little bit more of a challenge for her to get out of the box we had set up for her! [video of the squirrel with her head poking out of the hole of a wooden box shelter, she looks to the side before placing a front foot outside the hole and sliding her body down the side of the box. Her belly is nearly the same size at the opening]

She was in care for four weeks total, and made great improvements in that time. We decided that she had improved to the point where she could successfully survive and raise her young in the wild. Just in the nick of time too, she only had two more weeks (at the most) before she would give birth.

She was released back where she was found, with the box she had been using while in care. We hoped she would continue to use it while raising her young. Three weeks later, the people who had been keeping watch over her reported that she had her babies, and was doing well!

Our Wildlife Center is 100% funded by the generosity of our community. The Wildlife Center does not receive any government funding, and we do not charge members of the public who bring in wild animals for care. Please support wildlife rehabilitation at Dane County Humane Society!

www.GiveShelter.org/DonateWildlife

10/30/2024

Thank you so much Maureen for all of your dedication and hard work during the very busy summer months. We are so fortunate to have you as our volunteer receptionist. You are invaluable, amazing, and we love you!

10/29/2024

The Peregrine Falcon population is on the rise in Wisconsin!

"By the late 1950s, peregrines were virtually extirpated from the Midwest due to the effects of DDT, a commonly used pesticide at the time. DDT passed through the food chain, eventually reaching peregrines and other birds of prey . . . Over time, concerned folks took heed of the peregrines’ peril and, in 1987, the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Plan was launched."

Molly Meister

10/21/2024

For all wildlife, it is best to raise them with others of their kind, especially for certain species which are prone to becoming too familiar with humans. American Crows are one of these species, so when young crows are admitted we attempt to reunite them with their family as soon as possible, or join them with a group of other crows to associate with their own species. In a remarkable coincidence, three young American Crows came to the Wildlife Center in late May all from different Wisconsin counties. These youngsters, one fledglings and two hatchlings, were in poor condition on arrival, but all had injuries that were potentially treatable. Wildlife Center staff treated these birds for multiple weeks in attempts to get the whole group to release, but unfortunately they did not all survive despite our efforts. Here are their stories.

Crow #1, a fledgling from Rock county was found not moving, likely the result of a collision while it was learning to fly. It was very thin and dehydrated, and there was clear trauma to the left leg which was found to have a fracture. The fracture was already starting to heal in a slightly abnormal position, so it was uncertain if the bone would complete healing in a position that would allow for normal function of the leg. Staff fitted the bird with a splint on the leg, and after a couple of weeks removed the splint to see how it would function. There were some initial problems with the feet, but with an additional foot sandal those issues were able to be corrected! This bird, against all odds, survived to release.

Crow #2 This hatchling was a transfer from Wildlife In Need Center (WINC) in Waukesha County, brought to us in order to combine it with our group of young crows. The chick was dehydrated, but otherwise in fairly good health. The early prognosis was good, and after a few days of fluids this bird had no active issues. Unexpectedly, some swelling of one of the digits on a foot began to surface. The digit was warmer to the touch than would be typical, so this was likely some type of infection. This infection did not resolve with antibiotics. Rather than have the infection spread and cause further issues, it was decided to amputate the toe since it would not impact the bird’s ability to perch. After some challenges healing the amputation site this crow ultimately pulled through and did well!

Crow #3 was a hatchling referred to DCHS’s Wildlife Center from Jefferson county. The chick was suffering from trauma after falling to the ground, and was starving. Two bones in the right wing were broken. This wing was stabilized through surgery, and this bird received physical therapy to keep its muscles and ligaments from tightening during the healing process. Unfortunately, after two months of care, it was clear that one of the joints in the wing was not able to function properly, and this bird had to be euthanized.

Both surviving crows were “soft released” on DCHS property and were provided food for a few days as they were adjusting to life in the wild.

10/10/2024

Tomorrow night will be another important night in the Midwest for migrating birds according to the BirdCast forecast, with large numbers moving through Wisconsin specifically. The majority of birds migrate at night, and one of the most important ways to protect them during their arduous journey is by reducing light pollution.

Light pollution is the brightening of the night sky caused by man-made light sources, which disrupts natural cycles. The light from homes and cities disorients birds as they are flying, causing them to go off course and move towards cities. Their already very dangerous journey is made even more hazardous when this occurs. They waste energy, which they desperately need for the hundreds to thousands of miles they most go. They are also closer to human structures, increasing their chance of hitting a window or being hit by a car.

There are many ways you can help! Adjusting the brightness, color, angle, or timing of your outdoor lights are all great options. Indoor lighting can be blocked from reaching the outdoors by having blackout curtains.

If lighting must be on, warmer tones are better, and shielding light so that it shines downward also helps. Motion sensor lights are a good option as well, since they allow the bulb to be off most of the time until it is needed. Lastly, if you can leave your outdoor lights off completely this is the best option to minimize impacts on migrating birds.

10/08/2024

This summer, Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center had the pleasure of seeing one of our more uncommon snake patients—the Northern Watersnake! This snake species is native to Wisconsin and, like its name, prefers to stick to hanging in and around the waters of our local rivers and lakes. If you’ve ever seen a snake swim by while you are out having some summer fun in the state—it could have been this species!

Unfortunately, what brought this snake into the Center was a run-in with a glue trap. Used as a form of pest control, glue traps cause significant and unnecessary cruelty to animals caught in them. Trapped animals endure a slow death in these traps and will fight to free themselves, often causing themselves more injury in the process. This snake was one of the lucky ones, a kind person found and brought them to us for help.

When the snake arrived they were still in the glue trap and struggling. Their entire body was stuck. Staff placed a tube over their head to prevent further injury to the face and eyes, and to prevent the snake from biting as we attempted to free them. After covering most of the glue, we got to work gently loosening the snake’s skin. It was a tense 10-15 minutes of work, but well worth it to see the snake freed from the trap.

The snake had multiple injuries from moving in the trap including wounds on both sides of their face, individual scales coming off, fractures in their left maxilla (upper jaw) and right mandible (lower jaw), and hyphema in their left eye—which is the medical term for bleeding within the eye.

Veterinarians and staff kept watch over the snake’s eye as it healed and began a regimen of pain medication and gavage feedings, meaning that food was delivered through a tube into the snake’s stomach. This ensured that the snake would not worsen their jaw fractures by trying to eat food on their own. This gave the jaw the rest it needed to heal fully.

Over the next few weeks, healing was a rollercoaster as the snake received treatment for internal parasites on top of their injuries and worked their way through two sheds of their skin. Snakes naturally shed the outer layer of their skin and scales on a regular basis and this process reveals new, healthy skin. It is very important for snakes to go through at least one or more sheds during rehabilitation, so staff can make sure they can shed appropriately and that wounds are healing properly. When snakes do not shed well and old skin is retained, it can cause significant health issues such as reduced blood flow to extremities or poor eyesight (they even shed the outer layer of their eyes, called eye caps!)

Thankfully, the second shed for this watersnake was complete with no retained skin and it revealed healthy scar tissue over the original wounds. The snake’s fractures had also healed enough to test out eating on their own—which they took to right away! After putting on some weight, the snake was cleared for release. They are now back in their home territory, hopefully having a lovely snakey swim!

10/04/2024

Millions of songbirds are predicted to be migrating overnight this weekend! Check out the BirdCast forecast to see real time radar data of birds on the move. You can help them on their journey by decreasing light pollution and turning off lights overnight. Our website has information on how to help prevent window collisions during this migration season as well.

https://birdcast.info/
https://www.giveshelter.org/assets/documents/Window-Collision-Protocol.pdf

10/01/2024

Decorations bring cheer (and fear) in the holiday season!

Whether you are starting to decorate for Halloween, or prefer to think about Thanksgiving, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, or other holidays coming up in the coming months—if any decorations are going up outside, be mindful of your wild neighbors.

Choose decorations that do not create a hazard for our wildlife friends. The worst decoration offenders are fake spider webs. Even worse, fake spider webs with fake (or real) bugs in them—these bugs can attract insect-eating animals into getting caught in the web because they thought there was a tasty treat.

Anything with fibers, loops, or long loose strands (including unsecured strands of lights) can entangle an animal and should be avoided, or at least monitored closely. Replace these items with less hazardous options, such as placing fake bats on a wall instead of having them dangling from strings. Secure strings of lights along your home instead of stretching them across an open space. Instead of fake spider webs across your bush, shine a projector light with webs and spiders on the wall of your home. If you look into alternatives, you might be surprised with how many options there are!

Spread the word, and let’s keep our wildlife safe from hazardous decorations this year!

09/27/2024

This flight pen has been TEN YEARS in the making! Numerous challenges got in the way of this project breaking ground. Numerous donors and grants related to solar power made this project possible for DCHS.

09/25/2024

This year has been especially hard for wild birds. There have been high levels of avian pox, a viral disease which causes tissue growths on the legs and face. This virus is spread by mosquitoes and contaminated surfaces such as feeders and bird baths. Fall is also the time of year when bacterial conjunctivitis (mycoplasma) causes severe illness in finch species, with red and swollen tissue around the eyes from bacteria also spread on surfaces that have been contaminated. For these reasons, especially this year—please keep your feeders and bird baths clean and disinfected regularly.

The extra effort of cleaning feeders is important to keep our avian friends healthy. Attracting birds to congregate at food and water sources inherently increases the risk of spreading disease, so it is important to look after their well-being and reduce spread of disease through consistent cleaning practices. Cleaning and disinfecting should happen as frequently as you can manage, ideally every time the feeder is empty and each time a diseased bird is observed at the feeder. If diseased birds are present frequently such as every day or two, it may be best to take down feeders for a few weeks.

Here are some steps for disinfecting bird feeders and baths:

1. Remove all dirt and other debris by washing the feeder or bath thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
2. Gather either a large enough container/tub/sink to submerge your feeder, or a spray bottle.
3. Create a diluted bleach solution by adding 1 part bleach to 32 parts water. This equals a ½ cup of bleach to one gallon of water, or 1 tablespoon of bleach to 16 ounces of water. NOTE: Diluted bleach is only good for 24 hours, so be sure to make a new batch each time you need to disinfect your feeders.
4. Allow the feeder or bath to soak in the bleach solution for a full 10 minutes. If you are spraying down your feeder, make sure it stays wet for the entire 10-minute disinfection time.
5. Once disinfected, thoroughly rinse and dry your feeder or bath before refilling with new seed or water.

Thank you for helping to keep wild birds healthy!

If you find a wild animal you believe is in need of assistance, please contact Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center at (608) 287-3235 before intervening.

09/12/2024

A while back during a routine visit, one of the veterinarians who works with DCHS’s Wildlife Center shared with us that ‘turtle’ in their native German language translates literally into English as ‘shield toad’! This fact was so delightful that we asked some of our multilingual friends and family to share some of their favorite animals that also have charming English translations. Here is what they shared:

In Spanish, Woodpecker is el pájaro carpintero meaning ‘the carpenter bird’—a perfect name for these noisy insect-seeking creatures. And, while Wisconsin doesn’t have a nearby ocean, this next translation was too good to pass up—a Baleen whale is ‘Allena barbada’ in Spanish, which means ‘bearded whale’. If you’re wondering why a whale is bearded, we recommend looking up a picture of a baleen whale’s open mouth. Their baleen looks like whiskers hanging from their face!

Fun animal translations are plentiful in French! Some highlights include bats which are ‘chauve-souris’ or literally a ‘bald mouse’, which makes sense for their furless wings. Raccoons are ‘raton-laveur’ or a ‘rat that washes’ referencing their habit of dunking food in water to better feel and understand it. One word for wolverine is ‘glouton’ which means ‘glutton’ and moths are ‘papillon de nuit’ or ‘night butterfly’.

In Chinese Geckos are called 壁虎 (Bìhǔ) which means ‘wall tiger’ which is particularly fun to imagine! And Cobras are called 眼镜蛇 (Yǎnjìngshé) or ‘glasses snake’. Very befitting for their markings. Finally, an interesting one is the Crested Myna (or Chinese Starling) which is 八哥 (Bāgē) meaning ‘eight brothers’. This name supposedly comes from the white markings that can be seen on their feathers while in flight, which look like the shape of the character for eight (八 Bā).

Are there any animals with fun translations in another language that you know? Share them below!

Pictured 📸: Common Snapping Turtle

09/08/2024

This summer marked the first year that baby Blanding’s Turtles have hatched in our care since 2013! This special clutch came into Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center with their mom—still inside her, in fact! Their mother came to us with injuries sustained from a vehicle collision this spring and as she healed, she laid her eggs (the only clutch she’ll lay this year) with us. Trained volunteers then incubated the eggs under supervision of Wildlife Center staff and in August, seven little Blanding’s Turtle hatchlings wrestled their way out of their shells to join the world.

After spending a few weeks eating and acclimating in an outdoor enclosure, these hatchlings were released this past week at the Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area. This sanctuary is one of our partner Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s sanctuaries and a perfect habitat for Blanding’s Turtles! At this site, they will actually be neighbors to another former Wildlife Center patient, another Blanding’s turtle who recovered with us for 2 ½ years for burns from a prairie fire and was released in 2022 (read the story here). Given that these turtles travel over land more frequently than other Wisconsin species, maybe they’ll see her one day!

We hope you’ll enjoy this video of the release of these special turtles. Thanks to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and sanctuary managers Penny and Gary for providing a wonderful place for these hatchlings to grow up!

09/06/2024

We think we located all the hatchling turtles in this photo, can you? How many little turtles do you see, comment below! 🐢🐢🐢

We will update with our count this evening!

We found at least 5 turtles, three hatchling common snapping turtles and two hatchling painted turtles. Their ability to blend in and hide is very important to their survival!

09/03/2024

Thank you to everyone who shared our posts or donated for our Fall Baby Shower! Here are photos of some of the highlighted patients we posted about over the long weekend, and a few new ones that came in.

Pictured 📸: Young Bobcat, fledgling Broad-winged Hawk, fledgling Barn Swallows, Common Snapping Turtle hatchlings, Ruby-throated Hummingbird fledgling, and an Eastern gray squirrel juvenile.

09/02/2024

Fall Baby Shower Final Day, Day 4

Unexpectedly, we received two young bobkittens this year! In past years we frequently would not receive any Bobcats, but that trend seems to be changing. Last year, we only had one bobkitten and we needed to transfer that individual to another rehabilitation center so it could grow up with others of its kind. But this year since we have more than one, they will be staying in our care until they are ready for release!

Mammals generally take a longer time than many other animals to grow, and they rely on their parents for longer periods as well. These two will be in rehabilitation for several months.

Donation Link: www.giveshelter.org/donatewildlife

Instead of item donations, we are asking for monetary donations. This will help us finish out the baby season and transition to winter with funds for the variety of animals and needs that arise during the season change.

09/01/2024

Fall Baby Shower, Day 3

This year has come with increased numbers of young Broad-winged Hawks being admitted to our Wildlife Center. This species of hawk nests in the mid-summer, and young birds usually will stay with their parents for a number of weeks while they are still learning to hunt successfully. For the two orphaned Broad-winged Hawks we have in care, we will take over that role and provide food until they are able to hunt and be released.

Donation Link: www.giveshelter.org/donatewildlife

Instead of item donations, we are asking for monetary donations. This will help us finish out the baby season and transition to winter with funds for the variety of animals and needs that arise during the season change.

08/31/2024

Fall Baby Shower, Day 2

As we have mentioned in a few previous posts, we have turtle hatchlings! This is the time of year when the eggs accumulated in the spring finally begin to hatch, between 60 to 90 days after they start incubating. We have had over 100 baby turtles hatch, and it is a big team effort of our staff to evaluate these hatchlings and coordinate their releases. All turtle hatchlings are released back to the same habitat as their mother.

Donation Link: www.giveshelter.org/donatewildlife

Instead of item donations, we are asking for monetary donations. This will help us finish out the baby season and transition to winter with funds for the variety of animals and needs that arise during the season change.