6-5-09

Here are a few more of the orphaned critters we've received this spring. We'll start out with a baby Bobcat which was orphaned when a logging operation opened the den in which it was living with its mother and two siblings. The loggers immediately shut down the operation when they revealed the den. The mother Bobcat at first ran away but shortly returned to begin moving her babies out of harms way. Unfortunately, after moving two of them she failed to return for the last one. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to come back for this little one it was picked up by the DNR and brought to Wild and Free. The Rice Lake Conservation Association supplied the pelt on which the baby is being held. This keeps it from becoming acclimated to humans and helps it return to the wild successfully.

One of the major expenses incurred by W&F is providing food for the critters we help, especially birds....... especially big birds like this baby crow. This one seems to be continually hungry.

The most expensive birds to feed are the raptors which have to be fed mice while they're recovering. It's costly to have the mice shipped to us and there aren't enough caught to keep up with the hungry birds appetites. Even the smaller hawks like this Sharp Shinned need their daily mice.

Here is a trio of some of the cutest critters you'll come across. Most young animals fall into the "Cute" category but these foxes have to be very near the top of the list.

Here's a little better picture. Keep in mind that, even though they're very cute, they're still wild animals and should be left strictly alone unless there's no other option for their survival.

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