Wildlife In Need Center

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Wildlife In Need Center

The Wildlife In Need Center: Connecting people and wildlife through rehabilitation, education and research. (262) 965-3090
Address:
W349 S1480 S. Waterville Rd.

Oconomowoc, WI 53066 The Wildlife In Need Center is dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. WINC rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife and releases healthy animals back into their natural habitat. WINC also delivers educational programming to area elementary schools and to residents of all ages including scout groups, civic groups and senior citizens. The overall m

essage of the programs is to encourage an understanding and appreciation of Wisconsin wildlife and to provide practical, real life applications on the best way for humans to interact with wildlife.

14/06/2025

This Southern Flying Squirrel was admitted after he was caught by a cat in someone's basement. Upon admission, he was very weak and in pain. Initially, he wasn’t feeling well enough to eat on his own and he was hand fed to help him regain his strength. He was also given a course of antibiotics to treat the wounds from the cat attack, in addition to fluids and anti-inflammatory medication. He slowly began to feel better and started to eat on his own. Once fully recovered, he spent some time in an outdoor enclosure to recondition. We are happy to share that he was recently released!

13/06/2025

This beautiful Northern Flicker was recently released! She was admitted after being found on the ground unable to fly, likely after colliding into a window. Window collisions can be fatal for birds, and the ones that survive are usually injured.

This spunky female required plenty of time on “cage rest” to allow her shoulder fractures to heal, in addition to anti-inflammatories and pain medications to help her through the healing process.

Once she was healed, she was moved to an outdoor aviary where she spent some time restrengthening her flight. After about one month in our care, she was fully healed and flying strong once again. We are so happy she was able to pull through and be released back to her wild home!

12/06/2025

A special to James and Dr. Julie Larsen. They established a fund in honor of their son, Dr. Ben Larsen who passed away unexpectedly on October 10, 2020, at the age of 36. As both a physician and medial acupuncturist, Ben was dedicated to helping others. He enjoyed nature, especially in the water. This fund supports causes he valued and internships who share his love of nature.
Dr. Ben Larsen was a wildlife intern in 2001 at the Wildlife In Need Center. Julie shares Ben loved all animals and had a special connection to nature. Ben also valued internships.

Ben was a 2003 graduate of Oconomowoc High School. He received his degree in biology from Lake Forest College in 2007. As an undergraduate, he researched migratory birds and his findings were widely published. He studied marine biology in San Salvador, Bahamas. Ben continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he worked as a researcher in the department of ophthalmology. Ben received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School in 2013. While in medical school, he did a research fellowship in the department of immunology. After medical school, he completed a surgical internship at St. Joseph's Hospital and was a radiology resident at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Most recently, Ben opened a medical acupuncture practice at 4 Rivers Center for Well Being in Oconomowoc. Additionally, Ben worked as a Medicare home health wellness physician. He loved his work; he was compassionate and a true healer.
Ben had a deep faith, and he saw God everywhere in the beauty of nature. Ever since he was a small boy he was fascinated by marine life. Whether at home on Lac La Belle or at the family's Florida beach house, Ben was never happier than when he was on, in, or near the water. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, boating, jet skiing, wake boarding - he loved it all. Ben spent many happy hours fishing the local lakes and in the ocean. Ben's favorite days were spent outdoors. At day's end, Ben could be found around a fire, grilling for friends and family.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of the fund in his honor. It means so much to us to keep his legacy alive through his passion for helping others.

Thanks to this generous support, the Wildlife In Need Center has been awarded $2,500 for our wildlife internship program and $1,500 for our new surgical suite. These donations are invaluable to our mission, and we cannot thank you enough for your generosity.

10/06/2025

These hungry faces are European Starlings. They are just a few of the many birds growing up in our avian nursery. Many of these birds require feeding every 30 minutes, keeping our staff and volunteers very busy. These Starlings have grown a ton since they were admitted, a month ago, and are now in an outdoor enclosure!

07/06/2025

For this , check out our first group of orphaned Eastern Gray Squirrels to be released! These little cuties came in as infants that needed to be hand fed a specialized formula every couple hours. Now, they are fully weaned off formula, eating lots of nutritious solids, and back in the wild where they belong.
It has been a joy to watch them transform from small babies to juvenile "teenagers" with their big fluffy tails.

06/06/2025

Happy to lots of our turtles! Earlier this week we released multiple turtles that had stayed over the winter in our care while they continued to heal from their injuries. This little guy was one of many admitted last summer after being hit by a car. He had a severe fracture to his plastron (bottom shell) which required a lot of time to stablize and heal. After nearly 10 months at WINC, he was finally ready to swim free back to his wild home!

04/06/2025

It is a busy time of year for turtles, as they make the voyage to lay their eggs. We have already admitted many severely injured turtles that have been hit by cars. For this we are hoping for some help stocking supplies for these turtle patients. We need hoods and lamp stands to provide essential light and heat and basking platforms so they have a nice spot to bask while they heal. We also need more filters, filter replacements, and nets to keep the water clean. In addition to turtle supplies, we are in need of cleaning supplies such as nitrile gloves, paper towels, bleach, 39 gallon trash bags, and dish soap.

Thank you all for your continued support, we are so grateful for our supportive community! Our Amazon Wishlist can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DORO61XYAICK?ref_=wl_share

02/06/2025

Have you ever seen a strange-looking mammal in your backyard? Maybe it had patchy fur, rough skin, or looked unusually thin. While it might be easy to write off as a strange animal or just “wildlife being wildlife,” many of these animals are actually suffering from mange, a serious skin disease that affects wild mammals across Wisconsin, including red foxes, coyotes, and gray squirrels.

Mange is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin, leading to intense itching, hair loss, and crusty, thickened skin. Red foxes and coyotes are especially vulnerable to a type called sarcoptic mange, which spreads through close contact or shared spaces like dens. As the condition progresses, affected animals lose fur around their face, tail, and legs, and their skin becomes scaly and inflamed. In cold weather, these symptoms are even more dangerous, since fur loss can make it harder for animals to stay warm and find food.

Gray squirrels experience a different form of mange that causes hair loss, especially around the shoulders and chest. Though it’s typically less severe than what foxes and coyotes endure, it can still cause significant discomfort and make the squirrels more vulnerable to predators and harsh weather. Mange outbreaks in squirrels are most common in winter when multiple animals share a nest and stress levels are high.

If you see a wild animal with hair loss, scabs, or unusual behavior, it’s important not to approach or attempt to help the animal yourself. Mange is a complex condition that requires professional care. Feeding or handling wildlife can increase the spread of disease and put both you and the animal at risk.

Instead, contact the Wildlife In Need Center or your local licensed wildlife rehabilitator or DNR office for guidance. Reporting what you see is one of the most effective ways you can help protect our local wildlife and ensure animals in need get the care they deserve.

See photos of our former Gray Squirrel Patient and our former Red Fox Patient who recovered from Mange! The photo of the coyote was taken from google images for a reference of what that may look like in this species.

30/05/2025

Pictured here are some of our first orphaned infant Virginia Opossums (joeys) of the year. Did you know that the Virginia Opossum is the only species of marsupials found in North America? Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals characterized by the young being born at an early stage of development and continuing development in the mother's unique pouch.

Opossum moms are only pregnant for about two weeks. They then give birth to infants that are the size of kidney beans. The newborns crawl through the mother’s hair and into her pouch where they attach themselves to one of thirteen ni***es. There they will remain for approximately two months while they continue to grow and develop while nursing on mom. Once the infants are about 3 months old, they begin to ride on mom's back for a few more weeks before becoming independent.

Because joeys spend the first couple of months in the mothers’ pouch, if you ever come across an adult opossum during their breeding season (about March to September) that has been hit by a car, it may have babies in the pouch! In many cases even if the mother is deceased the infants can be saved. You can help by carefully pulling over and when it's safe, you can check the pouch to see if there are any babies. In some cases you may find the babies nearby on the side of the road. If you find an infant opossum under approximately 7 inches (not including the tail) without its mother, it may be too young to be on its own and should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator for help.

28/05/2025

These Eastern Cottontails were recently released. They were brought to WINC after their nest was accidentally destroyed. This season we have already admitted 128 infant eastern cottontails. Many of these cottontails are admitted due to dog and cat attacks, lawn equipment accidents, or other nest disturbances. If you have disturbed a nest follow these suggestions:
1. Carefully examine the bunnies to determine if any of them are injured.
2. Put the healthy bunnies back in the nest and replace the grass on top.
3. Keep other animals and people away from the nest.
4. To determine if the mother rabbit is returning, place a pattern of twigs or yarn across the grass top. If by morning the pattern has been disturbed, she has most likely returned.
If any of the bunnies are injured or if the mother rabbit has not returned, please contact us or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

27/05/2025

These cuties are some of the many faces growing up in our mammal nursery. These 3 Eastern Gray Squirrels are siblings and came to use as starving orphans in desperate need of help. Sadly, something must of happened to their mother and they were left in their nest without her to feed and care for them.

One of the siblings was still strong enough (and desperate enough) to leave the nest to find help. He climbed out of his nest and up a screen door to try and reach the person on the other side. Once he was noticed by the person, he climbed back up to his nest to show the person that his two siblings up there also needed help. The caring finders carefully contained them and brought them to WINC for help.

When they arrived here, they were extremely thin and dehydrated, but got the life-saving help they needed just in time. They have been with us for about a month and are now so much stronger, gaining weight well, and are preparing to move into one of our outdoor squirrel enclosures. We are so happy to be a part of their story and help them grow into the spunky, strong squirrels they were meant to be!

25/05/2025

Have you ever seen a bird, like a Blue Jay or American Robin, rubbing ants on its feathers or laying down on an anthill? It might look strange, but this interesting behavior is called "anting," and several bird species right here in Wisconsin, including Northern Cardinals, Gray Catbirds, Baltimore Orioles, and even Wild Turkeys, do it! Birds practice anting in two ways: either picking up ants with their beaks and rubbing them directly onto their feathers or lying down on anthills, letting ants crawl all over them. It's definitely an odd sight, but there's a good reason birds do it.
Scientists think birds ant for a few different reasons, although they're still figuring out exactly why. One popular idea is that birds use ants as a natural pest control. When ants feel threatened, they release chemicals like formic acid. Studies show these chemicals can kill or keep away tiny parasites like lice and mites hiding in a bird's feathers. By rubbing ants on themselves, birds might be giving themselves a chemical bath that helps protect them from these annoying pests.
Another theory is that anting helps soothe a bird's skin, especially when they're molting—losing old feathers and growing new ones. Molting can be itchy and uncomfortable, and the ant chemicals might act like a calming lotion, easing the irritation. Some researchers have even noticed that birds carefully choose which ants they use, picking ones with stronger chemical defenses. This selective behavior suggests birds know exactly which ants give them the best relief.
Blue Jays are especially famous for anting. Scientists have tested Blue Jays and found they clearly prefer ants that still have their formic acid glands. They rub these ants onto their feathers before eating them, showing they're really after those helpful chemicals.
Even though researchers are still learning all the details, anting clearly gives birds some important benefits. It might protect them from pests, help soothe itchy skin, or even prepare a tasty snack. Next time you're outside, watch closely—you might catch one of Wisconsin’s feathered friends enjoying this quirky but clever self-care routine!

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Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 16:00
Thursday	09:00 - 16:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00
Saturday	09:00 - 16:00
Sunday	09:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+12629653090

Website

http://www.helpingwildlife.org/

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