On February 29, a private citizen was gardening in Rockingham County and accidentally uncovered a tiny hibernating Woodland Box Turtle. The gardener brought the turtle to the Wildlife Center that same afternoon.
News
March 10, 2020
The four Black Bear cubs of 2019 have been doing well in the Center’s Bear Complex. Regular Critter Cam watchers may have noticed that the bears have been particularly active during the past few weeks, which is a good reminder that spring – the ideal time for these bears to be released back into the wild -- is quickly approaching! In preparation for planning the bears’ eventual release, the Center’s rehabilitation staff are closely observing their behaviors and overall health.
March 9, 2020
The four Black Bear cubs are doing well at the Wildlife Center; the rehabilitation staff have been bottle-feeding the cubs a specialized bear cub formula three times a day, and each cub is gaining weight. As of March 9:
#20-0106: (female): 1.4 kg
#20-0107: (male): 2.74 kg
#20-0108: (female): 2.24 kg
#20-0109: ("orange" male): 2.50 kg
March 9, 2020
Red-tailed Hawk #19-2663 has been doing well in the Center’s flight pens during the past few weeks. The bird is currently growing in several new flight feathers, and the rehabilitation staff have noted a marked improvement in the bird’s flight. While the hawk still needs to work on altitude, there are no indications that the bird has any skeletal or muscular issues from its initial injury; it appears that, with additional feather growth, the hawk will continue to improve flight capabilities.
March 9, 2020
On March 3, Bald Eagle #20-0055 was moved to flight pen A1 so that the staff could better observe how the bird moves in a larger space. The eagle has had a noted head tilt since its admission; this may be a permanent neurological deficit due to the severe lead poisoning. The eagle is able to fly the length of the flight enclosure, though doesn’t land on perches well at this point.
The eagle still has trace amounts of lead in its blood, so the veterinary team will schedule another round of oral chelation therapy.