Give Orphaned and Injured Wildlife a Second Chance

     A teenage boy canoeing in the Charlottesville reservior spotted something struggling in the water.  The boy reached the splashing mass and scooped the little guy -- a very young turkey -- out of the water.  The turkey was brought to Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, where it was introduced to Midas, the Golden Pheasant, who has become a surrogate for young turkeys.  With proper care from the staff and nurturing and teaching from Midas, the turkey grew strong enough and self-sufficient enough to be released into the wild.

      This success story highlights a need of orphaned animals -- in addition to specialized food and medical care from the humans at RWS, they also need survival skills to be released successfully.  Midas, an unreleasable Golden Pheasant, helps young turkeys learn these skills.

     Thinking about that day, we are still amazed and perplexed by how that little turkey ended up thrashing in the middle of the reservior -- and grateful to the teenager who came to its aid!

     We are also grateful to our GlobalGiving partners!  With your help and that of other supporters, we've gone from an empty hillside last Thanksgiving to the building that you see in the picture.  The roof is done, deck complete, sheetrock finished... We are thrilled, and very thankful!  Work continues -- we are still several months away from completion and an occupany permit.

    It is the busy season in Central Virginia for animal breeding, and that brings many orphaned and injured animals to RWS. More than 400 animals have already received care from RWS in 2014 -- a record number for this early in the year.  Your support for the building or for operations would be much appreciated!