Bobcat
On January 14, Seth, a wildlife biologist with the Grand Portage Band, found this female bobcat near Grand Portage while working in the woods. Clearly injured (possibly hit by a car), he sought care for the bobcat by calling Wildwoods. One of our volunteers headed out to meet them, and immediately transported the bobcat to Wild and Free for further care. Even though we do not have the permit to be able to help the bobcat on our own at this time, we are proud to be able to do the networking necessary to make sure that all animals are safely and securely transported to facilities that can support them.
In mid-March, we received the wonderful news that this bobcat is now ready for release! It will be released alongside another bobcat that Wildwoods also connected with Wild and Free. Seth will release the cats in the coming days.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
On the morning of March 17th, Wildwoods received a call from Haley about a small owl they had found near their building in Cloquet that wasn’t flying (likely it had hit a window in their building). It was a Northern Saw-whet Owl, the first one of 2021! One of our dedicated Wildwoods volunteers was able to go to Cloquet. When approached, the owl didn’t try and get away, which is not normal and an indicator that something is wrong. During the exam at Wildwoods, staff were unable to find any fractures and the owl was very feisty, which are good signs. The Northern Saw-whet Owl was transferred to The Raptor Center the next day for radiographs and further testing. At The Raptor Center, they found that there was some slight swelling of the right shoulder, but no definitive fractures were found. The tiny owl will be on cage rest for a couple of weeks, and will hopefully make a full recovery!
So far this year, we have had a variety of animals come through including this saw-whet, a coyote, a fox, several bald eagles, numerous pigeons, some cotton-tailed rabbits, a toad, a salamander, and several other species of owls. We’ve had quite the animal club in our clinic!
Gray Treefrog
This Gray Treefrog made its way inside of a house before the winter hit and was found by Caitlyn and Sander who brought it in to Wildwoods. Gray Treefrogs are a common treefrog found in Minnesota. Usually during the winter, they are hidden under the leaf litter; they produce a kind of natural antifreeze that allows their bodies to survive partial freezing during the winter. Since this frog is awake and alert, it would not be safe to put it outside for the rest of winter, so it will be overwintered.Like other amphibians, gray treefrogs start out as tadpoles after they hatch out of their egg and it takes around two months for them to metamorphosis into treefrogs. They typically are found in swampy or woodland habitats, and use their sticky toe pads to climb trees and shrubs. They are also often found on windows where bugs are attracted to lights in the summertime.
Wildwoods staff received a call late one evening in February from the Duluth Police Department regarding a coyote that had been hit by a car. A passing driver saw the coyote, stopped and placed her sweatshirt over him, and then called the police for help. It was a very cold, snowy February evening, and when staff arrived on-site, the coyote could not move, and was almost completely covered with snow.
We were able to move the coyote into a crate and transport it to Wildwoods where it would spend the night until we could coordinate transport to Wild and Free, a rehabilitation facility located in Garrison, MN, that has the capacity to work with large mammals.
When staff arrived at Wildwoods the next morning, the coyote looked in better shape, and was immediately transported. Upon arrival, the veterinarians at Wild and Free were able to stabilize the coyote, and we all held out hope that it would make a full recovery. After several weeks of care, it became evident that the coyote would not recover from its spinal injuries, and he passed away. In the work that we do, animals cannot always make a full recovery. In some cases, the best outcome for the animal is to humanely euthanize it in order to end its suffering.
We were all saddened by the coyote’s passing, but we did take heart from the fact that, if left by the side of the road, the animal would have suffered tremendously before eventually succumbing to its injuries.
At Wildwoods, we do everything we can to help wildlife that are injured due to a harmful, usually unintentional, interaction with a human. Some days we are successful, and other days we are not. We do take heart that this coyote was warm, well-cared for, and fed even as his life slipped away.
Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Goshawk
In the midst of dangerously low air and windchill temperatures in early February, animal finders did not rest when it came to their efforts to support injured animals! On one cold day in February, a pigeon, a chickadee, and two accipiters arrived.
The photo to the left is a Cooper’s Hawk that was found by Jill on a roadway. She recovered this bird and brought it to us for care. The profile shot below right is of a Northern Goshawk that arrived late that same day through the sheer determination and fortitude of the finder, Wesley. The bird hit a window, and when he tried to bring it to us, his car would not start. Doggedly, he found another ride, but then they slid into a ditch on the way here! Still, he did not give up and the hawk arrived late in the day.
The Cooper’s Hawk is an adult female and the Northern Goshawk is in its third year (sex unknown – it is in the middle of the overlap in weights between sexes). These are the first adult Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Goshawk for us this season – we’ve only had juveniles so far.
After stabilizing these raptors, they both spent a quiet night at Wildwoods. Elda, one of our stalwart transport volunteers, dropped them off at The Raptor Center the following day, braving 20 below temps to make sure these raptors receive the best care possible.
Barred Owl
This beautiful Barred Owl came to us in early February, completely tied up in netting. When it arrived, it was almost in a ball, with its wings and feet tied together, string strung across its chest, and netting woven through its feathers.
We worked on removing the majority of the netting, freeing its feet and wings, and removing the netting that was wrapped around its chest. At that point, it was able to stand and we left it alone to destress for awhile, then removed the rest of the netting.
The following day, we transferred the owl to The Raptor Center where they took over its care. They expect a full recovery and release.
If you do use netting, please look for an alternative. Every year we get several birds, raptors, and even small mammals that get tied up in the netting. Some of them are able to get help in time (like this barred owl), and others are much less fortunate. Please remember the impact our actions can have on the wildlife that we share space with.