As humans continue to build roads and housing in once wild places, more animals are getting hurt. Last year, the Wildlife Center of Virginia cared for a record 4,000 of them, and this year its president, Meg Gammage-Tucker, is asking for public assistance.
“Our wildlife staff, our rehab staff, our front desk staff can give great advice about what to do when you find a baby bunny, for example.”
And for those willing to step up on a regular basis, she says, the center offers training for wildlife rehabilitation. Volunteers will learn how to provide food, medicine and a place where injured animals can get their strength back before release. She adds that you don’t need a big home to do the job. Patients may be as small as hummingbirds.
“Our veterinarians have operated on hummingbirds’ broken wings and got them rehabilitated to be returned. A lot of home rehabbers are going to do small mammals, snakes, small songbirds – that kind of thing.”
Gammage-Tucker warns it’s a 24/7 life that rarely pays, but it’s a rewarding commitment of the heart.
For more information go to https://wildlifecenter.org/advice
or call 540-942-9453. Staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are available seven days a week, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, to assist with wildlife issues. Center veterinarians are also on call after hours for wildlife emergencies.
