Thank you to all of the supporters of DCHS's Wildlife Center!
Solar Flight Pen Time Lapse & First Raptor Reveal
Throughout the construction our new, one of a kind solar flight pen we were recording the process through photos. Here is the time lapse, and at the end the reveal of our first raptor patient in the enclosure!
Red Fox caught in a net, but not the netting you might think!
Near the end of the 2024 Olympic volleyball matches, a Red Fox was found in trouble in rural Oregon, WI. How are these two things related? Well, the fox was discovered entangled in a volleyball net. It is doubtful that the fox knew its timing was such an odd coincidence, but it was not lost on DCHS’s Wildlife Center staff. It is rare for a large wild mammal to be in this situation at all, much less during the Olympic volleyball matches!
It is unknown how long the fox was caught, but it was certainly long enough for the netting to have wrapped up tightly around the animal. The netting was wrapped around his mouth and neck, and it was cut loose by a rescuer and brought in to DCHS’s Wildlife Center with serious injuries. There were lacerations and bruising to the jaw and neck that required immediate treatment. As a result of being caught in the volleyball net, he was also dehydrated and thin.
Wildlife staff and UW veterinarians were able to sedate the fox in order to remove the remainder of the netting and assess the extent of the injury and infection. Subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics, and pain medications were started, the wounds were cleaned, and anti-parasitics were used to combat flea and maggot infestations. It was a miracle that his jaw was not broken, this was a very lucky fox! We were hopeful that the prognosis would be good with appropriate treatment. Now the fox needed to rest and recover from this traumatic event.
The owners of the property where the fox was picked up agreed that it could be returned back to that location. There is little concern that this fox will find himself caught in a volleyball net again, and it is important to bring adult wild animals back to where they were found. This increases their chances of a successful release and long-term survival, because they are already familiar with the food and shelter resources in that area.
Happily, about one month after admission, the healthy Red Fox was released back to his home territory.
A Strawberry Blonde Squirrel with a Surprise
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 fee
Roger Werndli Memorial Solar Flight Pen
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.
American Beaver Story
2024 has been an interesting year for wildlife rehabilitation. Many rehabilitators are overburdened with patients, and reached their capacity earlier than usual this spring. DCHS's Wildlife Center has been no exception, but there was a silver lining...
This not-so-little lady!
[video clip of an American Beaver swimming in a large pool]
American Beaver are not a typical species for us at DCHSWC. But when we received this juvenile female, the rehabilitator that specializes in their care was already full with young orphaned beavers. At first, we thought this would be a quick release. Perhaps this young female just got stuck in an odd location when she was seeking her own territory. But this beaver was not so lucky—she was injured, and the injury was severe. X-rays showed that her tail was dislocated.
The dislocation was at the base of the tail. Beavers use their tails not only to swim, but also to communicate with each other. Tail function is essential to survival, and there was concern she would not recover. But during the exam by our partner veterinarians, the tail had reflexes and sensation—there was still hope. The UW Madison Zoo & Wildlife Medicine veterinarians consulted with other rehabilitators and veterinary surgical specialists, looking for some way to repair her tail. It was decided that giving her body time to heal was the best and safest option, but it would be a long road to recovery. The injury could take approximately 3 to 4 months to heal, if it would heal at all.
For the first few weeks we limited her activity to allow initial healing to occur. Then she began showing improvement! We moved her into a pen with a full-size pool where she could begin her "hydrotherapy." To help keep her mind busy during these long weeks, we added some enrichment. She would go "bobbing for apples" during her daily swim. By the end of the second month, she was undulating her tail and swinging it side to side. These normal movements were exactly what we were hopin
Young Woodchucks (Groundhogs) Playfully Wrestling
While we spend most of our time focused on our patients, we also have some wild neighbors who occasionally visit the property… and when your neighbors start squabbling, who doesn’t like to peek out and see what all the drama is about?
Please enjoy this video that one of our interns captured of two young Woodchucks having a bit of a playful tussle behind the Wildlife Center:
Summer intern Taryn, learning to feed baby cardinals on their first day outside.
Eastern Cottontail Nose Twitch
What do you call a rabbit in a good mood?
A hoppy bunny! Groan 🙄
Jokes aside, here at DCHS’s Wildlife Center we have already received numerous calls about baby rabbits! We do not rehabilitate infant mammals but have helped many people with young rabbit situations determine if any intervention is needed, or have referred them to other rehabilitation resources in the area.
Eastern Cottontail Rabbits are fascinating! They:
Are named for their cotton-ball-like tails
Have excellent sight and hearing (those ears!)
Are abundant in the southern two-thirds of the state
Can be seen year-round at any time of the day or night
Live in neighborhoods in addition to woods, farmland, and more
Are hunted by hawks, owls, and foxes
Can “freeze” in place or run in a “zig-zag” pattern to avoid predators
Can run up to 18 miles per hour for up to one-half mile
Have sharp front top teeth that are always growing
Eat clover, plantain, dandelions, and more in the summer
Eat young parts of trees like apple, birch, maple, willow, sumac, and more in the winter
Before there are baby rabbits:
The adults mate from February through August
After mating, females make a shallow depression in the ground for a nest and line it with grass and fur
A nest can be in your lawn, on a playground, under a bush, in a garden, etc.
Babies:
Cottontail rabbit babies are called kits
Mother rabbits can have 3-8 kits in a litter, and have 3-4 litters a year
In Wisconsin, kits may be born anytime from the beginning of March through October
A mother rabbit only visits the nest briefly at dawn and dusk for quick feedings
Kits are born naked, blind, weigh about 1 ounce, and are almost helpless
At 1 week old, the kits open their eyes
At 2-3 weeks of age, the kits begin exploring outside of the nest for short periods to nibble on grass
By 4-5 weeks of age, the kits are weaned and independent
Nest disturbance:
Lawn-mowing, a person, or a pet may disturb a rabbit nest. If this occurs, rebuild the nest, an
Betcha can't resist watching this video ❤️🦆❤️
Spring is officially here! Baby Mallards arrived today to the Wildlife Center, and it marks the first of our season for ducklings. Hundreds of these little guys will arrive over the next few months after being found orphaned or injured in our area.
Be on the lookout for hatching ducks and when Mom tries crossing the roads. Stay safe if you attempt to contain them, too. We are available every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for wildlife advice and appointments.
