Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital

Every individual animal that comes to Fellow Mortals has a 'cycle of healing.'  This is one month in the life of a Red-breasted Merganser.

The merganser was found on March 5 in the road.  He was nearly 25 percent underweight, and had just been hit by a car.  X-rays taken back at the hospital show a skull fracture and fractured leg.  He was in very critical condition.

The next few days, the merganser was tube-fed (a tube is put down the animal's throat and nourishment provided to the stomach when an animal cannot feed itself).  A few days later, the merganser ate a live minnow for the first time!  The skull fracture had not affected his ability to see and procure food.

While the merganser's leg was healing, he could not be in the water, and so we had to give daily small baths to keep his feathers clean, resplinting the leg after each bath.  After 14 days, the fracture had stabilized (callused) and he was able to stand for the first time.  The splint was removed!

Recovery came quickly after the splint came off and the merganser had access to water, and fish and bathing 24 hours a day.

6 weeks later, the merganser is healed and acclimated to the outdoor temperature, and will soon be released.

Every animal has its own 'cycle of care' from critical to release.  This is one story.

Thank you--for making happy endings possible...

Links:

• Web site

Fellow Mortals provided care for 1692 animals at the hospital in 2013, more than in 2011.  71 percent were successfully rehabilitated and released.

Our busiest months were May, June and July, when we admitted 1,042 of our patients.

Animals came from 90 different cities and 14 different counties.

Every success is cause for celebration, but we are especially gratified at the successful rehabilitation, release and subsequent successful integration into the wild of two beaver admitted in 2009--one an orphaned female and one an injured male yearling, who were introduced after the male had healed from his injuries and then released together last summer.   The pair recently made an appearance near their lodge during a warm spell, after making it through their first winter in the wild.

This story--and many more, have been made possible thanks to your gifts.  Often, when funds are low, it is the donations received from Global Giving that provide a 'safety net' and provide the funds for food and supplies needed by our wild patients.

Thank you for your support.  We look forward to what we can accomplish together in 2013!

Links:

• Short article on Beavers

The first babies to be admitted every year are also the last to be released.

Our foster great-horned owl, "Alberta," raised seven injured and orphaned owlets in 2012.  Great-horneds are already starting to court in the wild this time of year in the midwest, and if you're lucky enough to have owls in your neighborhood, you will hear their resonant 'hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo-, hoo-hoo!'

The eggs are incubated by the female owl for 28-30 days before the owlets hatch.  During their incubation and while the downy babies need the parent's warmth, the male owl will hunt for the entire family.

If a baby falls from the nest and is  injured (broken wings and broken legs are common), or something happens and the parents cannot provide for the young, orphans may be found by caring people and brought to Fellow Mortals for care.

Alberta came to Fellow Mortals in 1994, when she was already 14 years old.  She had been raised illegally and was imprinted on humans, so could not return to the wild.  Still--she has been able to have numerous families in captivity and is an important part of our foster-parent program, making sure that owl babies that come to Fellow Mortals learn how to be owls from another owl and grow up wild!

The pictures show two of the 7 babies Alberta was mother to in 2012.  All healed from their fractures, trauma and emaciation and were released as big beautiful wild birds in late fall.

Thank you for remembering the wild ones in this season of hope.  Our best wishes to you for a safe and peaceful holiday with family and friends,

Yvonne--for the wild ones

Links:

• 2012 Review in Video--Wildlife Wonderland

As we approach Thanksgiving, it makes me think of you--

The gifts you've given to Fellow Mortals in the last year have provided care and comfort to so many precious lives after they were found and rescued after injury or orphaning and brought to Fellow Mortals:

• The great blue heron found paralyzed, unable to eat, drink or see--returned to the wild
• The red-tailed hawk, helpless after having his leg fractured after being hit by a car--returned to the wild
• The opossum, starving and dehydrated after languishing in a window well for a week--returned to the wild
• The crow, both legs fractured after falling from his nest--returned to the wild.
• The cottontail, unable to eat or run after being hit by a car--returned to the wild.
• 1800 wild creatures have received care to date from Fellow Mortals' rehabilitators & interns.

Our Thanksgiving Wish for you is that you experience the joy of knowing you have made life better for others.

Your friends at Fellow Mortals--furred, feathered and human:)

Links:

• Fellow Mortals web site

Your gifts through GlobalGiving are helping to make care possible for the precious wild lives at our hospital--like those in the video currently on Fellow Mortals' project page.

Until September 19, 2012, you have the opportunity to help even more, by volunteering just 5 Minutes of your time to vote for Fellow Mortals in the Chase Community Giving contest and then sharing a link with your friends!

Please visit https://fb.chasegiving.com/charity/view/ein/80-0076688 before September 19 and Vote & Share!

This simple act could mean a huge difference to the wild ones who need Fellow Mortals' help.

Thank you for your support through Global Giving, and for this gift of your Time.

Links:

• Chase Community Giving Vote for Fellow Mortals