One of the hardest parts of what we do is caring for the Glitter Animals. “Glitter Animals” is a game, of sorts, that I started playing by myself when caring for animals who have any of the closely related and highly lethal carnivore parvoviruses: canine distemper, canine parvovirus, feline panleukopenia, and raccoon parvovirus, all ofContinue reading “Glitter Animals: Managing Contagious Disease in Wildlife Rehabilitation”
Category Archives: General Info
Snapping Turtles Only Let Go When they Hear Thunder? Possible Origins of the Myth
When I was about six years old, I found a snapping turtle walking across my grandmother’s yard and eagerly ran inside to tell her. In a panic, she ordered me to stay inside until it was gone, warning me that if a snapping turtle bites you, it won’t let go until it hears thunder. IContinue reading “Snapping Turtles Only Let Go When they Hear Thunder? Possible Origins of the Myth”
Don’t Feed Corn to Wildlife!
Leaving corn for deer and other wildlife may seem benign, or even beneficial, but it is actually one of the most harmful things you can do for neighborhood wildlife. We generally recommend against feeding wildlife at all, with the possible of migratory songbirds. But if you insist on feeding wildlife, please avoid corn at allContinue reading “Don’t Feed Corn to Wildlife!”
Identification, Triage, and Management of Box Turtle Facial Inflammation Syndrome
This presentation, given to attendees at the Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina Symposium in 2024, is available for wildlife, rehabilitators and others in the field who may be interested in learning our experiences with Box Turtle Facial Inflammation Syndrome and our protocols in treating and managing it.
What to do if you find a cold wild animal
AAAA it’s cold. 🥶 January is the coldest month of the year here in Chattanooga, and it’s a rough time for many wild animals. Climate change is, perhaps surprisingly to many, causing more wild animals to freeze to death. Animals all over the world, including here in Tennessee, are giving birth out-of-season, changing their migrationContinue reading “What to do if you find a cold wild animal”
On the Release of Fur Farmed Mink
We heard some disturbing news last night about yet another fur farm that was sabotaged by animal rights activists, releasing thousands of mink into the wild. 😞 One might expect us to be supportive of these kinds of actions, but releasing animals from fur farms isn’t good for the individual animals or for the speciesContinue reading “On the Release of Fur Farmed Mink”
Beware of Free Snake Relocation
Here’s something that unfortunately happens often: a member of the general public finds a snake in their yard. They consult the internet for help identifying it, and people tell them it’s venomous and needs to be removed immediately before it harms someone. Soon, the thread has tons of people offering to relocate the snake forContinue reading “Beware of Free Snake Relocation”
How to Tell Good Sanctuaries from Bad
It’s a horrible reality that many of us don’t like to talk about with the general public: Some facilities that call themselves “sanctuaries” are not sanctuaries. Just recently, many of our friends have had to that take a massive influx of non-releasable wildlife from a “sanctuary” where conditions were even worse than the worst puppyContinue reading “How to Tell Good Sanctuaries from Bad”
Box Turtle Facial Inflammation Syndrome
This photo shows Glen, a patient we treated for turtle facial inflammation syndrome, or BTFIS. It didn’t have a name until we gave it one, but this disease has been recorded since the 1970s and clearly linked to pesticide exposure since the 1990s. It involves inflammation of the eyes, ears, and nasal passages, often eventuallyContinue reading “Box Turtle Facial Inflammation Syndrome”
When Leaving Orphan Fawns to Die is the Right Thing to Do
This has been a regular problem since Tennessee’s new policies went into place, which completely ban the rehabilitation of deer to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. The finders often tell us that they can’t just leave a baby animal alone to die. We get it, truly. We know it’s hard. It goes againstContinue reading “When Leaving Orphan Fawns to Die is the Right Thing to Do”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 