Another Wild Day!

Never a dull moment volunteering at Toronto Wildlife Centre.

First rescue was a very sick fox reported to be lying against the side of a house in south Scarborough.  We didn't know how sick he was, and after an amazing rescue by Andrew we had him!  This was one of the sickest foxes I've ever seen - thin, bare, skin and little face covered in crust.  Should his tests confirm that he is a good rehab candidate, he will receive roughly 8 weeks of medical care at TWC and will then be released.  It was wonderful to meet the caring human neighbours of this fox, who appreciate and respect the wildlife near their homes.
(UPDATE:  the fox has had tests and it looks like he will be a great rehab candidate!!).

Next up, a daring rescue of a soon-to-be mama raccoon, who had chosen to reside on the second floor balcony of a home.  What better place to build a nest for her babies than a cardboard box full of old albums!  She had wounds and injuries, likely from a fight with another raccoon or a dog.   Andrew was two for two in the amazing rescue column today and after 20 minutes of careful maneouvering, and despite her hanging by her toenail at one point threatening to jump down, she was safely in a kennel cab and on route to the hospital.   She was quickly assessed and because she was with babies, and that her injuries would heal with the help of antiobiotics, she was given an injection and we were able to release her later in the afternoon.  

Soon to be Mama Raccon, after receiving treatment and being released.

The grand finale of the day was the long-awated release of a beaver, who had been in care for months at TWC.  Significant time, money and effort is required to care for these larger animals, and while the beaver will be missed, the bright side is that volunteers will not need to do any "full cage cleans" for a while!
Releases are always stressful and you hope you have chosen the best possible site, as close to where the animal was found.  Thoughts (usually irrational) always go through my head - where will the animal sleep tonight?  Will it have enough to eat?   But this release had it all!  The habitat was perfect and by the time we'd left the beaver had found a place to sleep, and explored every corner of the habitat.

Here's the release:

TWC is a not for profit and it takes significant resources to care for these animals.  Please visit www.torontowildlifecentre.com to see how you can help.

I love happy endings :)

But just when I thought my rescue day was done...read on!