| Critter Care Wildlife Society's
plan is always to release a healthy wild animal.
Thanks to the wonderful support we get from
several veterinarians and the invaluable efforts
of our trained volunteer caregivers, our success
rate has been phenomenal. After a medical check,
the orphan is placed, usually with one or more
other orphans, into the hands of a caregiver. At
this point it needs to be bottle fed and
requires stimulation to eliminate. The milk
feeding stage is not always easy, but is always
expensive. The only milk that can substitutes
for the mother's is a special formula that costs
$39.00 a can. When the animal can be weaned, a
variety of cat and dog food can be given,
together with other foods as supplements and
treats. For example, clams and mussels are given
to raccoons that are to be released near the
ocean, so they can learn how to open the sturdy
shells. Smaller mammals, like squirrels and
skunks, mature very quickly and can be released
within a few months. Raccoons, on the other
hand, must be kept throughout the winter and are
released in March or April when the climate is
milder and the food supply more plentiful.
Volunteers spend many hours researching possible
release sites and final selection is only made
when the Society is assured that the chosen site
has sufficient natural habitat to provide the
animals with the strongest chance for survival. |
