Pretty much everyone wishes they could befriend a wild animal. It’s not at all uncommon for people to be excited when a wild fox or raccoon seems to randomly approach them without fear. It’s human nature to project that the animal is seeking comfort or companionship, and to fantasize about being able to provide exactlyContinue reading “Sick. Not “Friendly.””
Tag Archives: featured
I found a baby skunk! What now?
You look out your window and see a litter of skunk kits running around with no parent to be seen. What’s next? Kits without their mother aren’t necessarily orphaned or injured. However, unlike some animals, skunks are typically attentive parents who don’t leave their babies unattended for very long. If you wait about three hoursContinue reading “I found a baby skunk! What now?”
Tennessee’s Box Turtles in Danger
It’s important to recognize the plight of wild animals right here in the Southeastern U.S. This handsome fellow is an Eastern box turtle, which has experienced a sharp population decline over the last few decades. Without intervention and protection, this once-common backyard guest could vanish forever. The good news is that everyday people like youContinue reading “Tennessee’s Box Turtles in Danger”
How Bats Prevent Disease
Did you know that a single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour? Worldwide, mosquitoes are responsible for more illnesses and deaths in humans than all other animals put together. When mosquito populations rage out of control, so do rates of diseases like malaria, West Nile Virus, dengue, and zika—Continue reading “How Bats Prevent Disease”
Predators Aren’t Evil
We don’t call rabbits cruel when they eat clovers. We don’t call squirrels cruel when they eat acorns. We don’t call our children cruel when they eat cereal, or even call our dogs cruel when they eat beef bones. Yet predators, in nature, get a bad reputation. I have seen people who consider themselves toContinue reading “Predators Aren’t Evil”
How to Feed Raccoons Properly
It’s not a good idea to feed wild raccoons, but there are a lot of people who will do it anyway. If you absolutely insist on feeding a wild raccoon, please follow these guidelines: -Do not allow the raccoon to see you leaving food. If the raccoon starts begging humans for food, someone will believeContinue reading “How to Feed Raccoons Properly”
Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake
We often hear from finders who have handled wild raccoons without gloves— a mistake that’s very easy to make when it’s just a little baby. Some people will also hand-feed adults or attempt, illegally, to raise orphans as pets. Please be careful: this is very dangerous! When raccoon roundworm enters the human body, the wormContinue reading “Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake”
Why not let nature take its course?
This is a common and understandable question that wildlife rehabilitators receive. After all, death and disease are a very real, and important, part of the balance of the natural world. For the most part, wildlife rehabilitators do not intervene when nature is running its course in a wilderness area. Although personal ethics vary by individual,Continue reading “Why not let nature take its course?”
Why We Only Rescue Tennessee Wildlife
Since Chattanooga sits on the state line, our local rehabbers often get calls about animals from outside the state. I can advise about wildlife first-aid, help identify unknown critters, and help find solutions for people who want to humanly repel “nuisance” animals, regardless of where the call comes from. But to actually accept an animalContinue reading “Why We Only Rescue Tennessee Wildlife”
Rabies Doesn’t Look Like Rabies
I specialize in rescuing wild animals that are categorized as “rabies vector species”— foxes, skunks, and raccoons. It’s been my experience that many people will either enormously over-react or under-react to the risk of rabies. For every person I’ve encountered who has shot a healthy animal for no reason at all, I’ve also encountered manyContinue reading “Rabies Doesn’t Look Like Rabies”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 