The Fab Four – Remember When?

Late summer 2012, I rescued four 10 – 12 week old opossums; their mom and five siblings had been hit by a vehicle and killed. After spending many hours on their own, cold and hungry, the Fab Four – two males and two females were brought to the Wildlife In Crisis Sanctuary (WIC) for nurturing and care until they were prepared for life in the wild.

It was a long hard winter – Hurricane Sandy brought severe devastation to the sanctuary property, but we still count blessings – no humans or animals were hurt.

Happy ending – fast forward to spring 2013 and the Fab Four have been released into the wild, where they belong.  The two males were released about a month ago and the two females returned to the wild last week. WIC  leaves food at the release site for the opossums, and will continue to do so until the Fab Four fully acclimate to life in the wild again.

What you may not know is that if it were not for the Wildlife In Crisis Sanctuary, the Fab Four would not have made it to adulthood.  Opossums remain with Mom for up to 26 weeks, and at less than half that age, these little ones, would have died on their own.

And, although they would normally only have spent 12 – 16 weeks at the sanctuary, because they were born late summer, they were not prepared for release prior to winter, and spent nine months at the sanctuary – quite a financial undertaking.  In fact, the Center operates year round, providing care to over 100 animals not ready for release prior to the cold winter months – each year!

WIC – The Only All-species Wildlife Care Facility In Fairfield County, CT

Established in 1988, WIC is a volunteer-run non-profit organization. Every year, approximately 5,000 orphaned, injured and sick animals, indigenous to the state of CT, pass through the doors of the Center. Each animal receives a designated care giver and is nurtured – body and spirit – in a tranquil setting, to prepare that animal for release back into the wild.

This requires dedication and strict adherence to safety and cleanliness protocols, as well as proper nutrition and habitat, to ensure the best outcomes for all involved.

From a financial perspective, while a minimal donation of $40 is suggested upon intake of an injured or orphaned animal at WIC, this does not begin to cover the costs involved in the rehabilitation of most animals. Good Samaritans who rescue our wildlife in distress and are responsible enough to find the proper resource to assist the animals…kudos to you! Those who bring distressed animals to the Wildlife In Crisis Sanctuary and make a donation…even better! 

You can make a difference! Adopt an animal for a day, a week, a month, or for their entire stay at Wildlife in Crisis. 

Here are several examples of wildlife and the expenses incurred in an attempt to preserve our fragile ecosystem.

Rabbits: The phrase “multiply like rabbits” – certainly does not work in our favor. We receive calls about hundreds of bunnies per season. In the wild, rabbits develop at a rapid rate and are fully developed for life in the wild within about 4 weeks. A full grown adult rabbit relies on its compact body and strong hind legs to survive – but alas, is a food source for many different animals – hawks, owls, and foxes. These innocent creatures have sensitive digestive systems and require special care at the center.  Baby rabbits can remain at WIC for 2 – 4 months before release. The expense to raise and release each rabbit is at least $150.

Squirrels: These mischievous creatures bring Cirque de Soleil to life in the wild. The antics performed – walking live electrical wires, playing chicken with your automobile, running for life during a hawk fly by and living in trees that we often prune in springtime, result in the arrival of numerous injured and orphaned squirrels at the center. Squirrels are very important to the ecological balance – burying seeds and nuts for winter…which can result in new vegetation in spring. Each squirrel costs approximately $200 during the average 4 – 6 month stay at WIC.

Red-tailed Hawk: These majestic creatures tend to mesmerize us with their beauty. However, it is their fierce hunting ability – through the use of their beaks and sharp talons that makes them so successful in the wild. They represent a natural way of managing wildlife populations that could otherwise create an imbalance. A Red-tailed hawk hit by a car sustaining head trauma, could result in a stay at the sanctuary for up to a year…or more! The average cost of nurturing and releasing each raptor is $350 at WIC.

Raccoons: Often referred to as Masked Bandits due to their appearance and their nocturnal existence, these adorable, mischievous highly intelligent, inquisitive, and often orphaned mammals, require long-term care prior to release. Specific survival skills, usually taught by the mama raccoon over time, can take from 6 months to a year to fully develop at the center. The cost incurred by WIC is approximately $600 per raccoon!

Songbirds: Every beautiful voice comes with a price…and songbirds are no different. When brought in as newborns, these fragile beings require feeding every 20 minutes, 14 hours a day, for the first 2 – 3 weeks at the Center and will remain at WIC for up to 3 months or more! Besides eating often, they also have expensive palates – as insect or seed eaters – determined by species. The average songbird costs WIC $150 to nurture and prepare for release.

Barred Owl: The Wise Old Owl…does not get that way by chance. Another raptor, these birds of prey have the uncanny ability to triangulate sound and to fly silently through the night air. This is due to the location of their ears (one high and one low) on the sides of their head, the shape of their faces which helps to channel sound, and the formation of their feathers – especially at the edges. Accurate and deadly hunters, blending into their surroundings, these creatures are subject to injury, again due to the human presence in their environment. Each owl costs WIC approximately $350 to nurse back to health – flight testing included!

White-tailed Deer: The phrase “deer in headlights” is a sight every driver prefers to avoid. And although there are those who lament when their favorite bush or flower is trimmed unmercifully, one cannot deny the grace of this magnificent animal, especially evident when you gaze into the innocent beautiful brown eyes of this creature. The signature oversized ears, long legs with pointed hooves and the white tail, which stands up when alarmed, revealing the whiteness on the one side of the tail, help to distinguish this animal from a distance. Countless orphaned fawns are brought to WIC each summer after their mothers are hit by cars, impaled on fence posts or otherwise killed. Fawns are particularly difficult and costly to nurture to adulthood. At WIC it takes up to 6 months and costs about $700 per fawn, prior to release back into its natural habitat.

Wood Duck: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck…it probably is a duck! Male and female Wood Ducks are very vocal – you will hear them before you see them. And although both have a distinguished crest that extends outward from the back of the head, the coloring of the male’s crest – green, purple, bronze and white make it one of the easiest species to recognize, and one of the most beautiful species of American waterfowl. However, raising a duck creates a very different kind of challenge. Loving water from shortly after birth, replicating care at the center without the mama duck, that mirrors life in the wild, requires a specific regimen and habitat. Every duck spends about 4 months at WIC and costs at least $150 – from intake to release.

Your tax deductible donations are graciously accepted and appreciated any time during the year – and no donation is too large or too small!  And because the organization is volunteer-run, every dollar you contribute will directly benefit the animals! Visit the Wildlife In Crisis website to donate and learn more about the Center.

Visit WIC on Facebook to see current postings…and then click “Like” on the actual page!