Sabrina's House~~The Rescue

[LuvaBun]

I love baby birds - they are all open beak and cheaping . What are those?

Jan

 

[ra7751]

The tiny babies are Chickadees. They weighed only a couple of grams each. Sadly, they were fed water by syringe before I was called. One died shortly after being admitted and one of the ones in the picture was very weak at last report. The larger bird is a fledging Common Grackle.

And another request for those that find wildlife. Please contact a licensed rehabilitator when you find an animal. We have had numerous rabbits and birds that were "critter-napped" by well meaning people....but the animalswere just "learning the ropes" and should have been left alone. And don't offer food or water to any animal. Many of these animals are cold and/or stressed. Feeding orgiving water....particularly to birds...is almost always a death sentence. I have held many birds, rabbits, squirrels and opossums as they struggled to breathe due to fluid in their lungs/airsacs due to improper feeding. Working wildlife is much different than treating domestic animals. Most states have web pages that will lead you to licensed rehabilitators. And if you find a bird out of it's nest and don't see any obvious injuries....either leave it alone as the parents are most likely nearby and it's fledging..... or if it's younger bird and you can safely reach it's nest....put it back in the nest. The old tale about "having human's scent" is just that...on old tale as birds have a poorly developed sense of smell for the most part. Same rules for rabbits. Squirrels will return for their babies if the area is safe and quiet. But if you find a baby opossum, they always need to get into rehab since if they fall off their mother before they are fully weaned, they will die without help.

Randy

 

[ra7751]

Forget the peanuts....give us those fresh strawberries.

 

[ra7751]

This is a small blackbird known as a common grackle. This picture doesn't do justice for the vivid purple this bird displays in bright sunlight.

 

[ra7751]

This is a hybrid duck....part wild, part domestic. He has been a fixture in a local neighborhood pond for several years. He was found in serious condition trying to get to his mate. This duck is not capable of flying but theinjuries point to be run over by a vehicle. Apparently some kids driving a golf cart illegally intentionally ran over this duck. The neighborhood is outraged and I would not be surprised if these kids are charged with animal cruelty. He has a severely broken wing, a possible femur fracture and a nasty laceration on his thigh. His life is very much in danger. Since he requires surgery, he had to go to a vet. Since he is not technically wildlife, he can't go to the wildlife center. A near by educational facility has agreed to take him. The owner's daughter is a licensed vet. But I am sure his care will be expensive regardless. But we can't let this duck think that all people are like those unruly kids...we have to try to help him. Please send healing vibes.

 

[ra7751]

My most excellent adventure....well, it's really my very first adventure. This little guy is out exploring and eating clover and grass less than a day after his eyes opened. He loves meal time.

 

[Bunnicula]

Randy,

That squirrel pic is fabulous. There are many squirrel nests in our trees now, so I think this will be a big year for them. I am a little worried because some cat has been stalking them.

Sorry to hear about the duckling. We have a pair of ducks that come up from a local farmer's pond every spring and visit the yards in our neighborhood. They are a lot of fun...and thankfully our street is pretty calm. It is a shame that people deliberately hurt animals.

Thanks for all you do to make a difference.

~Mary Ellen

P.S. How are the domestic buns of Sabrina's House doing?

 

[Jenk]

ra7751 wrote:

Finally, (Yoda) told me he was ready....and I had promised him that I would honor his wish at any time. The final night, he slept in the bed with us. Early the next morning, he woke us up and we knew the time had come. My wife held him and then he wanted to come to me. He looked up at me and I felt Sabrina there...she had come for him. I told him it was OK for him to go with her. And then an amazing thing happened. He looked up at me again....but it wasn't the tired and sick rabbit he had become. That howdy-doody face, those perfectly lopped ears and those huge deep brown eyes were there for a final time. It felt like he was saying "thank you". And he nodded his head as I felt his last breath.

Yoda and Sabrina are our inspiration in this rescue and why I am so determined to find out all I can about EC. The spirits of Yoda and Sabrina live in every rescue we do. And oddly enough, we just got in a rabbit that has severe head tilt...just like Yoda suffered.

I take comfort in knowing that things are back as they should be. I miss him terribly. But Yoda and Sabrina are back together again...and this time it's forever.

I always called Yoda the "Captain" of our rescue and always left him with a standing order when we left home for any reason..."Yoda, you have the bridge". And he will always be in command of our rescue. Until we meet again little buddy.

Randy, I've onlyjust now read your story about Yoda; the tears are falling unchecked. :cry1:Your little guy couldn't have had it any better, but I completely understand the loss that we feel on "this side" at the departure of our furry loved ones.

Still, I'm smiling through the tears at the thought of Yoda and Sabrina being together again, both entirely healthy and full of life. :bunnyhug:Of course, Yoda's perfect health now allows him full command of the rescue. I'm certain that he's doing a wonderful job.

Jenk

 

[ra7751]

Thanks for the kind words Jenk. Yoda and Sabrina are still very special rabbits to us and always will be. It's like they charted a course for us. It has been a most interesting adventure for us....and we have learned a lot. And just a few months ago, a "special needs" Holland came into our lives. He looks like our Yoda.....but more amazing, he acts like him. We went all the way from NC to IL and back for him....a full two day trip. He has a personality just like Yoda. And the way he carries himself is the same. And he likes to be held in a somewhat unusual position...just like Yoda. We named him Deuce. And you are so right...Yoda will always have the bridge.

Randy

 

[ra7751]

Hi All,

You know, sometimes nature provides such beauty that words just don't do justice....and this is one of those times that we can just admire the beauty of what nature has provided.

Randy

 

[Haley]

Wow, Randy, he/she is just beautiful. What this gentle soul's story?

 

[ra7751]

This little fellow, named Bambi by the vet staff, was "parked" in a grown over field that was being mowed. He got spooked and took off and went into someone's open garage. The people did the right thing by allowing him to calm down and then putting him back where he was.....minus the tall grass. Mom didn't return. A dead doe and fawn were found in the road not far away so it was assumed this was his mother and sibling. He has been on an IV drip for a couple of days for dehydration. He ate well late this afternoon. His gut (very delicate just like a rabbit) appears to be in good shape and he is digesting the formula well. I transferred him to my primary fawn rehabilitator and he will join a small herd of fawn about the same size. His chances for a successful release appear to be very promising.

Randy

 

[Jenk]

Oh, to kiss that sweet fawn face! :kiss::inlove:

Randy, remind me to tell you of the time that I had a fawn on my head....

Jenk

 

[Haley]

Oh wow what a lucky guy. He sure is beautiful.

Deer are just so majestic- we have about 7 or 8 behind our house that come out sometimes. I could just watch them for hours.

 

[LuvaBun]

What a precious baby. How sad about his mother and sibling, but how wnderful that he was saved, and that propects look good for him.

Jan

 

[Jenk]

Haley wrote:

Deer are just so majestic- we have about 7 or 8 behind our house that come out sometimes. I could just watch them for hours.

What is it about deer and rabbits that speak to some of us so deeply? Is it the softened expressions and large, innocent eyes? Is it their quiet nature?

I've long loved deer and have alwaysfound rabbits adorable. Now that I better understand rabbit motivations/behavior, they are even more dear to me. And I can't help but wish that I lived in an area where deer roamed freely onto my property (which, of course, would also be their property).

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Jenk, can you tell all of us about the fawn on yer head?
Haley, you are lucky to see a few behind your house! I wish I could visit with trailsend (Donna) for a while to see the deer by her place!

Thanks for posting story and photo, Randy.

This Saturday I ran out for errands driving the usual winding road. Right past a bend in the road there was a fawn downed on the road, ... the sun brightly displaying the hit & run encounter that had occurred. I traveled about 2 minutes further up the road wrestling with my conscience because I didn't initially pull over at a convenient available spot.
[ Would I be too late getting the groceries?
What if the fawn was just recently hit?
What if a driver ran across the body on the center line, not swerving a bit to the side?!
- Take in mind I'm the retired rehabber/humankind who stops to safely help... when somebody's plowed into a squirrel, woodchuck, chippy, rabbit. The old towels and plastic garbage bags, gloves, are a regular car kit item. ]
I swung a U-ey.
Getting back to the impact spot 4 or so minutes later, another concerned person - caring for the fawn - braved the busy traffic and had stopped to carry off the fawn's delicate frame and lay it on the gravel shoulder. RIP. Made for a sad day and sober time shopping for bunny greens at PickNSave.

On May 24th, our neighbor's left a voice mail because we were out for a while: "Mr. and Mrs. S, there's a baby deer sitting on a porch at our neighbor's. Very still. Should we call the wildlife center?" When Karl and I returned from helping our son move that day, a follow-up phone call with the neighbors revealed: "We saw the adult mom come back later in the day to get her little one on the porch, and the two moved on."
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THANKS RANDY, I need to see that Picture!! Yo, we have no cottontails by us now, so keep sending e/c pics too. :smile:

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Jenk wrote: What is it about deer and rabbits that speak to some of us so deeply? Is it the softened expressions and large, innocent eyes? Is it their quiet nature?

I've long loved deer and have alwaysfound rabbits adorable. Now that I better understand rabbit motivations/behavior, they are even more dear to me. And I can't help but wish that I lived in an area where deer roamed freely onto my property (which, of course, would also be their property).
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^ yah that ^ - tf
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Many e/c's rehabbed & released years ago led me to adopting our first bun SnowB from the shelter in 2003, after volunteering.:brownbunny ... domestics have most definitely changed our mindset AND fill our world with happiness. (albeit some work, too. ::wink:

Randy, with all the flooding here in surrounding counties my mind wonders how many nest babies will survive?

 

[ra7751]

I've been watching the flooding situation and am concerned both for human and animal issues. We were devastated by Hurricane Floyd here some years ago....and the real story never got our as we were basically under lockdown. Untold numbers of animals died...both domestic and wild. The owners of a local pet store got arrested while forcing their way back into their store in aheroic attempt to save as many animals as possible. The police did allow them to attempt as many rescues as possible and then arrested them. We saw people standing in water on the roof of their house....and horribly, we saw bodies floating in the flooded creeks and rivers. My wife asked why we werenot doing anything to help them....in such an emergency, you have to use your resources to help those that can be helped. I have never seen anything like the flood following the hurricane....and I watch in horror as things develop in the midwest. The people and animals need any help we can provide.

Anda brighter note, here is a young fellow that came in over the weekend....another busy weekend. This is a young male Red Tailed Hawk with a fractured left ulna.....one of the bones in the wing. He was found ona huge property owned by a major corporation and their concern andassistance made securing this hawk much easier than normal. His prognosis is quite good for a successful release.

Randy

 

[Jenk]

TreasuredFriend wrote:

Jenk, can you tell all of us about the fawn on yer head?

Sure can.

At age 17, a friend and I attended a week-long summer camp designed to introduce young people to veterinary medicine (at the U. of Wisconsin-Madison). We followed the vet on her rounds (to farms, the zoo, and even observed a few surgeries). It was great!

The fawn had been anesthetized while the vet inspected an issue with her tail. When the little one came to, she was inside a circle of us students. Without warning, she regained full use of her legs and leaped over my head, landing on me somewhat. It was crazy, but thrilling. :biggrin2: