Wildwoods Rehabilitation
Big changes at Wildwoods rehab facility
Left: New Wildwoods Executive Director Jessica LaBumbard. Right: Outgoing Director Farzad Farr.
Wildwoods, the Duluth-area wildlife rehabber, recently posted its early-season stats: 1,260 animals have been helped by the organization this year, through Aug. 1. Migration season, a busy time for Wildwoods, is still to come.
Meanwhile, Executive Director Farzad Farr will be stepping down on Sept. 21 after 13 years with Wildwoods. He’s going back to California to be close to family. New director Jessica LaBumbard has already began. (more…)
Sweet, sorrowful story from Wildwoods
From the Wildwoods Rehabilitation Facebook page:
In our lives as rehabbers, we witness many happy moments, but also many tragedies and moments of heartbreak. This story is one of the sad ones.
When friends of Wildwoods saw these very young, very tiny grey fox kits wandering around outside their den without their mom, they knew something was amiss. Something had happened to Mom; she was gone. (more…)
Videos: This Week in Duluth Snowy Owl Rescues
Richard Hoeg spotted a snowy owl on Duluth Harbor ice this morning and at first didn’t think it was out of the ordinary. Returning a few hours later, he noticed the owl had only moved a few feet and didn’t flush when a pair of dogs were checking it out. So with the help of a fish net, wood and duct tape, he pulled the owl in and passed it along to Wildwoods Rehabilitation. Hoeg tells the full story on his 365 Days of Birds blog. (more…)
Bonnie the wild bobcat trapped at the DECC
From Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay’s Facebook page:
When I heard about a man in a mental health crisis looking for a bobcat in downtown skywalks and in the convention center I knew it wasn’t true. Then I saw these pictures. You can’t make this stuff up … nobody knows how this wild animal made it into the convention center. It was trapped by the DNR and Wildwoods inside the convention center.
“The Price of Admission for Living in the Northland”?
Wildwoods shared this story about wildlife and domestic pets:
On Friday, Wildwoods sent three fox kits down to our friend Connie, who specializes in raising and releasing orphaned foxes. Their stories illustrate the range of problems we may cause for our wild neighbors — through carelessness, through intolerance, and through misplaced “love.” (more…)
Wildwoods: Deer and Eagles
From Wildwoods: a heartwarming, yet bittersweet story about people who saw animals in trouble and decided to do something about it. Then, a depressing story, so sad.
Bird on the loose
Anyone in Superior missing a pet? My wife got this pic this morning. The bird is currently in the care of Wildwoods.
Ruffed grouse release 2/5/15
Several days ago, one of our great local conservation officers brought in a ruffed grouse with a head injury to Wildwoods. The grouse has made a full recovery, so today, Sarah and Trudy released her back into the wild. The grouse exploded from the transport kennel and quickly disappeared into the woods.
Raccoon Release
Wildwoods Rehabilitation has been raising nine orphaned raccoon since July, and our babies (now huge, rollicking, unruly teenagers) are ready to head off on their own and find a spot to hibernate for the winter. We took them far off into the woods, to a secret release site. Here are some picture as they begin to explore their new world. Good luck, little wash bears, and stay safe!
Wildlife News
Some updates from Wildwoods Rehabilitation:
There are three window-strike bird victims in residence — a northern flicker, a juvenile cedar waxwing, and a flycatcher. The flicker came in with a spinal bruise, and was unable to use his legs for several days. Fortunately, he’s made a full recovery after rest and anti-swelling meds, and is ready for release. In the meantime, he’s been pigging out on the mealworms, and has plumped out, just in time for migration, when he’ll need the energy!
(more…)
Grounded Eagle on Rice Lake Road
This afternoon I was driving back from the dump when I saw a car with its flashers on on Rice Lake Road. I slowed to … basically to rubberneck, but, you know, to see if everything was OK. They were looking at this bald eagle that was staggering along the narrow green space between the highway and the wetland that it passes through.
(more…)
Beaver Relocation in Downtown Duluth
This beaver was in the downtown Duluth area, near the on-ramp for the adjacent freeway. Farzad from Wildwoods captures it. It is later released outside of town by a creek. Video courtesy of Duluth PD Officer Jayme Carlson.
Critter Update
Critter updates:
The young grey foxes, though scared and sad without mom, take comfort from each other’s presence, and ate well last night. We cleaned out their kennel this morning (lots of poop–yay!), and moved them to a new kennel. Two are very docile, but one is a real spitfire. He thinks we’re planning to kill him, and he will not “go gentle into that good night.” More power to ya, buddy; way to go! (more…)
Sign of Spring: Infants at Wildwoods
Infants are here!
Spike, Dakota and Friends of Wildwoods at Blue Lake
Fox21 tells the story:
DULUTH – Some Northlanders celebrated Earth Day, one day early on Sunday, by raising money for Wildwoods. Art for Our Wildwoods kicked off at the Blue Lake Gallery in Canal Park donating 20 percent of the Gallery’s proceeds to the rehabilitation center. “We rescue injured wildlife including lead-poisoned eagles, animals hit by cars, window strikes and we’re also here to educate the public on wildlife issues,” Erica Erickson, vice-chair of the Wildwoods board, said. The event also featured three special guests, a red-tailed hawk, a porcupine and a hognose snake.
The event would not have been possible without the contributions from The Cupcake Lady, Positively Third Street Bakery, Townsquare Media (our radio partners KOOL 101.7), our silent auction partners Applebees, Duluth Grill, Grandma’s, and Cantonese House. Thanks, too, to the immensely hard-working volunteers.
Wildlife Rehab Report, 2012
We report the numbers of animals rehabilitated to the state every year at Wildwoods Rehab. (more…)
New Education Rabbit at Audubon Center for the Northwoods
We at Wildwoods are good partners with the education mission of Audubon Center for the Northwoods in Sandstone, MN. The staff there are warm, welcoming, and supportive, and have occasionally taken an unreleasable wild animal and given it a meaningful life as an education animal. Like this gal:
Five month old doe Netherland Dwarf and Lop mix. She will be representing a Eastern Cottontail rabbit since they do not tolerate captivity. She will be making appearances in MN Mammals, Animal Signs, and the Minnesota Wildlife evening program.
You have until end of day December 11th to submit a name for their new education rabbit. Visit their FB page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/AudubonCenter
Wildwoods’ Bowling for Bobcats
Wildwoods hosted Bowling for Bobcats at Skyline Lanes. Thanks to the dozens of friends and families who joined us in celebrating our Wild neighbors and in raising money for Wildwoods. (more…)
Eagle in Need
From the director of Wildwoods:
Thanks so much to P and M, who brought this wounded bald eagle down from Cook this evening, after she’d been hit by a car. Thanks to them, she has a chance. She needs a ride to the Raptor Center asap; please call us at 218-491-3604 if you can help. Pictures courtesy of N, who helped in the care of this bird. Please “share” this; let’s find this bird a ride. Time is of the essence to save her wing. Thanks! – Wounded bald eagle 10/13/12
What amazes me is the quiet dignity with which eagles carry themselves even in times of injury and great pain.
Wildwoods Updates: Of Sandpipers, Squirrels, and More
The pectoral sandpiper released in this series of photographs was found injured up the north shore, was transported to Wildwoods where triage examination led to a referral to the exotic vets at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in St. Paul. The sandpiper was driven to St. Paul (on a car already headed that way), and cared for at WRC. When it was back to normal, it was loaded back onto a car headed back to Duluth (its other occupants filled with State Fair goodness), transported to Wildwoods, and eventually returned to Erik, who took these amazing pictures of his release.
Raven in distress
This raven has a sad story. He was hopping around on the ground as a fledgling when he was “saved” by well-meaning people, who then kept him in their chicken coop for the next 2 months. They finally brought him in after they released him and he just sat in a tree for 2 days, because he had no idea what to do.
If you find a baby bird, follow the instructions here. (more…)