Nandina is one of the most common ornamental plants in our area. It’s marketed under many names, including “heavenly bamboo,” but it is neither heavenly nor bamboo. It’s a highly invasive and poisonous domestic plant that can kill animals in your neighborhood. Nandina owes its popularity to the fact that it’s a brightly colored evergreenContinue reading “Nandina Berries Kill Birds in Winter”
Category Archives: General Info
Prevent Pandemics: Don’t Feed Wildlife
For years, raccoons have been suffering through a catastrophic pandemic introduced to them by domestic dogs. Canine distemper is a highly contagious, horrifically painful, and invariably fatal disease that infects large numbers of raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes in Tennessee. As many as half of the calls we receive are related to cases of canineContinue reading “Prevent Pandemics: Don’t Feed Wildlife”
T’challa’s Story
Many of you have seen T’challa’s story in bits and pieces and have had a lot of questions. Is he a pet? Why do people keep calling him “potato?” What’s that thing on his neck? Can I pet him? For our newer friends and fans, here’s his whole story… and an opportunity to ask usContinue reading “T’challa’s Story”
Let’s Talk About Cages.
“It’s so sad to see them in cages.” This is a comment we see frequently, even from those who strongly support our organization and mission. We understand! Wild animals look happiest and most beautiful when they’re running through fields and drowsing in tree tops. Large zoos are able to use painted backgrounds, glass enclosures, electrifiedContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Cages.”
Opossums Need Shelter to Survive Winter
Opossums are, ultimately, tropical animals. Out of over 100 opossum species in the world, nearly all live in the hot deserts and rainforests and Central and South America. Opossums aren’t equipped with adaptations for surviving winter: they can’t hibernate, and they have naked feet, tails, and ears that are highly susceptible to frostbite. Our nativeContinue reading “Opossums Need Shelter to Survive Winter”
Don’t Move Reptile Eggs
This beautiful Eastern box turtle was spotted laying eggs in Fairfax, Virginia. Fortunately for her, the photographer left her and her eggs alone. Many other reptile moms aren’t so lucky: often, a person will find reptile eggs and will move them either indoors or to a different outdoor spot. This is often fatal for theContinue reading “Don’t Move Reptile Eggs”
Be Thankful for Turkeys
Happy Turkey Day! What a great day to be thankful for the turkey and all it does for us. The wild turkey is a keystone within the ecosystem of North America. As we recall every year, wild turkeys and other native fowl helped countless generations survive famine after famine. They’re also an important food sourceContinue reading “Be Thankful for Turkeys”
Opossums: Nature’s Savants
You may have read about (or met) people with savant syndrome. Formerly called “idiot savants,” people with savant syndrome have significant learning disabilities but also display exceptional intelligence at times, often to the shock of those who underestimate them. Opossums are the natural world’s own example of savant syndrome! If you were to look atContinue reading “Opossums: Nature’s Savants”
Trees Don’t Litter
If you’d ever seen how quickly our raccoon patients can devour twenty pounds of acorns or forage through six inches of fallen leaves for bugs, you’d understand exactly why there’s no need to “clean up” the gifts trees leave us in autumn! Many native animals in our area cannot survive winter without the bounty ofContinue reading “Trees Don’t Litter”
Yes, Our Bobcats Have Claws!
Several people have asked if T’challa, our nonreleasable bobcat ambassador, still has his claws. Of course he does— big, razor- sharp ones! His claws could easily cause serious injury, and that’s one of the many reasons that we don’t allow him to be handled or played with by the general public. All other bobcats thatContinue reading “Yes, Our Bobcats Have Claws!”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 