Poplar Bluff Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation

09/14/2024

09/14/2024

Something to think about.

If you’d ever seen how quickly our raccoon patients can devour twenty pounds of acorns or forage through six inches of fallen leaves for bugs, you’d understand exactly why there’s no need to “clean up” the gifts trees leave us in autumn!

Many native animals in our area cannot survive winter without the bounty of nuts, acorns, and other seeds falling from trees in fall. These high-fat, high-protein foods help animals like deer, raccoons, opossums, turkeys, and even bears fatten up before the annual famine, while animals like squirrels, chipmunks, and jays depend on storing enough to last the entire season. When we bag them up and send them away to be composted or burned, all of our wild neighbors miss out!

Fallen leaves are also essential for the survival of wildlife in winter. Turtles, frogs, salamanders, and beneficial insects and microbes need the warmth and shelter they provide, and scavengers and predators, in turn, need to eat these smaller critters to make it through winter.

Even branches and twigs that fall from trees are very important. Brush piles and fallen branches act as shelters for many mammals, including raccoons, turkeys, opossums, skunks, rabbits, groundhogs, quail, and songbirds. Bear in mind that— while leaving brushpiles alone is generally fine here in Southeast Tennessee—it may be unsafe in certain seasons and areas due to fire risk, so check with your local authorities to be certain.

If you must “clean up” whatever your trees are dropping this time of year, please sweep or rake them into a pile but leave them alone without burning or shredding them. You can be a savior for your local wild animals simply by letting trees do what trees do!

09/14/2024

I could sure use a handful of these wheels.

09/14/2024

Mallow may be one of the cutest animals alive, and we think he knows it.

Mallow is an albino raccoon who is not able to live in the wild due to a several congenital disabilities. It seems his genes simply weren’t carrying the correct instructions to grow a raccoon. We’re so thankful for the opportunity to give him a happy life in captivity and to be able to share his story to educate the public about raccoons!

09/14/2024

I want one!

09/14/2024

Great Idea!

Thank goodness for these hand warmers or my baby would have died last night of hypothermia. I always keep these in my purse.

09/14/2024

There are few legitimate pest control companies that help the wildlife. Many will trap the critter, take your money then drown the critters. If you are local the company we recommend if you need help is ACME Animal Control.

09/14/2024

Rehabbers get a lot of calls about lumpy squirrels, especially in late summer and early fall! There are two common causes of lumps on squirrels: squirrelpox, a viral infection we’ll discuss in a separate post, and botflies, which are insects that develop in animals’ skin in the larval stage. When people find lumpy squirrels, they almost always feel that they need to capture the squirrel for treatment, or worse, they’ll rush to killing the critter out of the idea that they’re “ending its suffering.” Please don’t do either of those things!

Botflies (also called warbles, wolfworms, or heelflies) may give you the heebie-jeebies, but they’re native insects, just like bumblebees and monarchs. They play an important role in our ecosystem, and we never kill native animals— no matter how small or unimportant they may seem— just because their life cycle is uncomfortable to see.

The species of botfly that typically affects North American squirrels is a small, unassuming little bug that resembles a bee (but doesn’t sting). A mother botfly lays her eggs in areas frequented by rodents, like tree hollows and brush piles. When the a squirrel bumps into the eggs, they cling to the fur and hatch, and the baby botfly grows under the squirrel’s skin. It may be a yucky-looking process, but it’s not really as bad for the squirrel as it seems. The larvae will grow just under the squirrel’s skin until maturity, then will fly away, leaving a tiny hole in the skin that heals quickly.

An otherwise-healthy squirrel will do just fine even with many botfly larvae growing under the skin. Parasites like fleas, roundworms, and botflies are just part of life for wild animals, and squirrels and their native botflies have coexisted for millions of years without issue. The stress of capturing a squirrel for treatment would be much greater than the risk of the botflies simply running their course, which is usually completed by late fall.

There’s no need to panic about botflies passing to you or your pets. Botflies tend to be species-specific and it’s very rare for them to grow in the skin of any animal besides their preferred host. If you live in North America, you’ve probably already encountered squirrel botfly eggs many times while climbing trees as a kid or doing yard work as an adult, and of course there was no harm done. You don’t have to kill or relocate squirrels, or use pesticides in your yard, to keep yourself safe.

Please let nature be nature, even when it looks icky! Both squirrels and native insects deserve to live in peace.

09/13/2024

please HELP! I have a young squirrel in Sikeston with a injured foot that needs to be rescued. Is anyone able to pick it up? Please call or text me at 573.413.7317. Do not use messenger as I can't get those messages.

08/27/2024

So smart.

08/08/2024

Little baby squirrels needing transport from Skyview Animal Clinic to Poplar Bluff Wildlife Rescue call 573.413.7317

Send a message to learn more

08/05/2024

Don't forget the wildlife.

08/05/2024

I have an area in the woods where I bury my precious ones that have passed. I stack two rocks and moss on top to honor them.

08/05/2024

Miss those mischievous boys.

08/05/2024

It's a long read but very informative.

🌀⛈️🌀⛈️🌀⛈️ 🌀
We cannot stress enough the importance of attempting to re-nest baby squirrels blown out from their nests and reunited back to their mothers after a rainstorm. If they are not injured, we ask that you PLEASE TRY our technique first before scooping them up and calling a rehabber to come take them off your hands. Listed below are step by step instructions on just how easy it is to attempt reuniting babies with their Momma.
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1. If you find a baby during a storm, bring it inside and keep it warm and dry in a dark, quiet place.
*DO NOT handle it other than to put it into a box with some nesting material, blankets or spare rags to keep it warm (Do not use washcloths or towels, they have loops that will snag on tiny toenails).
*DO NOT attempt to feed/water it. (Mother will handle that once she is reunited with baby, or if it ends up with a rehabber, it'll receive a special formula that baby can tolerate).
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2. Once the bad weather has passed, you may go ahead and start your attempt to re-nest, even if it has been with you for an entire day or overnight. Attach a small box with flaps or even a basket to the tree or in the immediate vicinity from where the baby fell. (see photo posted below for example). Make sure to anchor it to the tree (at eye level) using screws, nails or duct tape around the tree if needed for better support. The photo used below is how we have had success with reuniting babies. Make sure the container will not retain water by putting a few small holes in the bottom for proper drainage.
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3. Put a layer of grass, leaves or straw in the box to keep baby warm. (Don't use a washcloth or towel because they can get their little claws snagged in the loops).
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4. Try to entice Mom squirrel to come for her babies by playing baby squirrel cries on YouTube from your cell phone or wireless speaker. (Play the sound for 30-40 seconds from the baby's location at the box and afterwards, walk away so she will be able to come get the babies on her own). Move away from the tree and monitor from a short distance. If no activity is seen after 20-30 minutes, repeat the process again (may need to be repeated several times). Squirrels almost always have a secondary backup nest (drey) if the initial one is destroyed, so most likely she will be busy getting that set up before she comes back to retrieve her young. Make sure all domestic pets are out of the yard, away from the area for safety. If a dog or cat is around, she will not come back until they are gone.
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5. If there is more than one baby, Mama will come back to retrieve them one at a time. She will take the first one, gather baby in her mouth and scamper off and up a tree to put baby in the new nest. She will nurse her baby for a bit, then she will come back for the next one. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes to an hour before she comes back for the rest. It's an exhausting feat, hauling those babies up the tree ever so carefully in her mouth, so that is why we must remain patient!
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6. If after several hours, mother squirrel does not come back for her babies, that is when you will want to call a rehabber or Ahopha Wildlife Rescue for help and for further instructions. Our emergency number to reach us is 386-233-1054.

We hope this answers any questions in attempting to re-nest baby squirrels. If you need more advice along the way, we will happy to help guide you over the phone.
Mother's milk is the best milk for these babies in order to survive, so getting them returned back with Mother Squirrel is #1 priority at this time. Thank you for your help in saving our local wildlife!
🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️
Note: This also works for baby birds.

08/05/2024

Send a message to learn more

08/03/2024

Did you know that we do an annual dinner and silent auction once a year to help raise funds to support the care of injured, sick and orphaned animals? Our theme this year is all about the Eagles. Come support this wonderful cause on September 28th. It is at the Jackson Civic Center, 381 E. Deerwood Dr, Jackson, MO. The tickets are $35 each or a table for 8 is just $250.. . The doors open at 5 pm so you can place your bid on any of the wonderful silent auction items offered and then dinner will be at 6 pm. There will be music, a cash bar and entertainment. Give Carolyn a call today and reserve your tickets to help us help the animals. Tickets are limited, so please call today. 573-866-3436. Thank you for your support.

07/31/2024

07/27/2024

In late summer and fall, you might see a bird that makes you say, “WTF?” While bald-headed birds may look strange, they’re not as uncommon as you might think, and they don’t generally need any kind of medical attention.

Cardinals and blue jays are the most common birds affected by this bizarre-looking phenomenon. The change of seasons naturally triggers birds to molt, and for many, the head feathers— which aren’t necessary for flight— will drop all at once. After a few days, the bird’s winter-ready plumage will fill in the gaps.

Most of the time, bald birds don’t need any help, but there are times a call to a rehabilitator may be in order. If mites, infection, or injury are to blame, you may see scabs or sores. If something is wrong, there may also be a massive loss of feathers on other parts of the body, causing the bird to be unable to fly properly. If something seems amiss, please give your local bird rehabilitators a call or text and they may be able to help.

As long as the weird-looking cardinal in your neighborhood shows no other worrisome symptoms, just enjoy watching this interesting seasonal change!