Spring is a breathtaking time. The world wakes from the slumber of winter and begins a tremendous effort to push forth a seemingly endless variety of new life. At PWRR, this time of year is deeply meaningful and rewarding, but it can also be a marathon that requires immense patience and endurance, too. As an abundance of new life springs forth, a constant stream of babies pours into our clinic. Earlier this month we had 38 baby bunnies alone, along with countless baby squirrels and a variety of other patients (not to mention the long-term residents we care for, too). With a patient load of 38 bunnies, it takes a minimum of 4 hours for each round of hand-feeding, and that's if every baby eats well. If any babies are ill or struggling in some way, it will take longer. Baby bunnies need two feedings a day, which means that it takes at least 8 hours on a good day to feed just the bunnies, let alone all the other animals at the clinic.
Currently, we have 36 babies:
1 skunk
1 shrew
2 raccoons
2 wood rats
1 chipmunk
2 mice
4 ducklings
2 crows
7 starlings
1 porcupine
1 snake (yes, we even take snakes, and we love them, too!)
4 rabbits
8 squirrels
Our posts have been sparse over the last six weeks because this season requires intense dedication from all of our volunteers to give each little life the best chance of a positive outcome. At times like this, triaging has to take priority, and our volunteers have less time for creating educational content. So, during high volume seasons, instead of producing materials that explore a new animal of the month, we will instead focus on providing rescue spotlights, doing our best to include you in the special journey of protecting our local wildlife’s most vulnerable members. Thank you for your support and understanding. It is an honor to have your company through this intense but very special season.
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