Crikey Wildlife Rescue

12/27/2022

Umm.... do you mind? I'm trying to run.

12/26/2022

I lost Bean yesterday. Christmas morning. She had been a bit weird the last few days but I didn't think much of it because raccoons get in their moods of wanting to stay tucked away, especially in the cold. This cold snap here is breaking 40 yr old records, so it's been a little chilly for my outdoor guys. I checked on them Christmas Eve night around 11pm and then again on Christmas morning to say Merry Christmas to them and see how they did in the freezing Temps. All little faces stared up at me from the hammock when I called out to them. Except one. I don't know what happened. I just know I tried very, very hard to bring her back.
On Christmas eve, I had just spoken to another rehabber about taking Bean to her so she can wild up as she was still very tame around me.

Being a wildlife rehabilitator is rough on the heart. 💔💔

12/26/2022

I was with Jill and Juice last night. She texted me this morning to tell me poor Juice had passed away. I'm so devastated for her. It's been a really bad time of year for us rehabbers. I lost one of mine yesterday.. she was getting set for release. I'll post about her later.
I'm so sorry Jill ❤️❤️
Please go to the Squirrelly AF page and leave a little comment for Jill and Juice.

12/26/2022

My outside babies! They have several hayfilled boxes and crates to snuggle into but they choose to still be in the open hammock together. Very sweet as they're such a social animal, but it's cold!!
The 4 in the middle will be heading to another rehabber in near Orlando as she's got a bit more room than I do.. and I'm meant to be cutting back on my raccoon addiction. I'm not good at it, clearly!

12/25/2022

Lola and Lily say "Merry Christmas!"
These sweet girls are doing very well. They love their bottles and Lola is starting to have some solid food. She has some neuro and sight issues so I'm monitoring her closely.

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday!

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas to you all!

🦝🎄❤️🎄❤️🦝

12/23/2022

Update on the boys! Two of them have figured out I might actually be okay. One of them isn't convinced at all! He'll come around... it's only been 24 hours so we still have a lot of trust issues to work out.

12/22/2022

Shed and Enclosures for Wildlife Rehab Babies, organized by Paula Hodge

Still need funding for the enclosures and shed! I've also put myself on the waiting list for a squirrel enclosure!

Hello! I am Paula and I am a Wildlife Rehabilitation volunteer. I have been… Paula Hodge needs your support for Shed and Enclosures for Wildlife Rehab Babies

12/22/2022

The brat pack! These 3 cranky little boys were huddled outside a church for 2 days without mum. They were very unimpressed with their rescue!

Since it's a few days before Christmas and they were at a church, I've called them Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar! The 3 wise men 🤣⛪️

12/21/2022

Another successful batty release! I gave her a superworm/calcium mash before she flew off into the night. You can just barely make out a flash of bat as she flies up high!

❤️🦇

12/20/2022

If anyone would like to give to the wildlife babies in my care, I have some wishlists!
My venmo is also in the page's information.

Thank you! ❤️

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z6LAYIJ5PYDG?ref_=wl_share

https://henryspets.com/wishlist.php?publicwishlist=3b4474b4-1014-48e9-8f75-81efe2d311a0

12/20/2022

It's a busy Christmas week! I received a phone call from a lovely lady called Kate, who spied this little girl on a neighbour's porch. I rushed out there and could see right away that something wasn't quite right. By this age (approximately 8 weeks) they would normally be huffing and puffing at predators, being very scary and bitey. She is very lethargic and not putting up a fight whatsoever. No external injuries, but she may have had a fall as she doesn't want to stand up.
I'm going to keep her close to me all day to monitor her. Poor little darling! 🦝❤️

12/20/2022

Don't tell Squirrelly AF but I stole my baby Lily back 😁🥰🦝

12/20/2022

Big girl Baby Nat loves her marshmallows and isn't afraid to show it! She's also big enough that she can grab my hand and I can't move it! She still loves her cuddles though, just don't tell her I told you. 🤐☺️ Little Rueben is a bit nicer about taking a treat.

12/20/2022

🤣

12/20/2022

This poor little boy has mange :( 💔 I've given him a small dose of revolution and a little bit of pedialyte for hydration. He's warming up in incubator for now, hoping he gets a little more energy.
We get some very poorly animals in and it's so sad to see them in that condition. At least if they pass, they're usually medicated to make them feel more comfortable and they're in a warm, safe environment.
Cross your paws for this little one! 🐾❤️

12/19/2022

Grump grump grump! You can hear her tiny cranky protests about being captured.
I think this adult female Florida Evening Bat is not exactly excited about the sudden temperature drop here, either.
She was on the wall of an apartment building for a week and not moving much. She seems healthy, no injuries. Not too keen on me though. I'm used to that part 🤣 I'll make sure she is nice and safe and hopefully another successful release!

🦇🦇🦇🦇

12/15/2022

This girl was brought to me by Ed from Birds in Helping Hands. She is showing signs of head trauma and a bit of a dried bloody nose so I'm monitoring her to see if she improves. Cross your paws for her quick recovery! 🐾❤️

12/15/2022

It takes a team! I was taking Lily to Elizabeth but Jill wanted to start her raccoon rehabbing experience. She's very experienced with squirrels! I'm excited to see how it goes with Lily, and I've already warned Jill she will fall in love ❤️

12/14/2022

This little munchkin was spotted next to a neighbour's roof.. no injuries. I've told the finders to keep an eye out for any siblings!
What a tiny thing 🥰🥰

ETA: My daughter has named her Lily ❤️

12/11/2022

Vote for The Wright Ranch Rescue Inc to share $500,000 in grants from MyGivingCircle

Please vote for The Wright Ranch Rescue Inc. !

Vote for The Wright Ranch Rescue Inc to share $500,000 in grants from MyGivingCircle

Help them share in $500,000 worth of grants

12/05/2022

Who doesn't love a happy bat rescue? This little guy was put into someone's mailbox by some neighbourhood kids. Perfectly healthy but when they land on the ground, they can't take off and can't always find a good perch to climb up to. So luckily he was put in a bat friendly mailbox who happen to have a mutual friend in Jill who runs Squirrelly AF! So then they contacted me and I checked out the little batty and made sure he had no injuries. He was nice and chunky too. I released him and off he flew into the night to eat his weight in mosquitoes.
❤️🦇 love my batties!!

11/28/2022

Look at this beautiful juvenile Florida Evening Bat. She didn't move from the side of a building for 2 days so she was brought to me by Birds in Helping Hands. After a tantrum (not by me, I swear!) she accepted some water in a syringe and then at dusk, she flew off into the trees gracefully.
Love a quick, successful rescue and release!
Always love my bats ❤️ 🦇

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and followers! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and be thankful for the good things that have come your way, and for the not so great things, as there is always a lesson to be learned!

I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to be a wildlife rehabber and have the ability to nurture and raise such amazing creatures. Their love and trust in me is magical and I wouldn't wish for anything else. ❤️

11/22/2022

11/16/2022

This man was one of the most passionate wildlife warriors that we were blessed with. I had the honour of attending his memorial service in 2006 at Australia Zoo when he passed. I grew up about an hour away from Steve's zoo and had the pleasure of visiting numerous times. What a man! I'm so glad he made such a strong impact on the animal lovers of the world.

Happy Steve Irwin Day. Today, November 15th, we celebrate the life and legacy of the greatest Wildlife Warrior. A true pioneer of conservation and a loving family man. Break out your best khaki and take a minute to enjoy our beautiful natural world in honour of Steve🤎

11/15/2022

I had one of my kids visit last night! It's so good to see them look so healthy 😊

11/02/2022

Timmy is getting to be a big girl! This is her first time on the cat tree and she's having a ball... or three! 🤣❤️🦝

10/25/2022

I was summoned to a mini castle this morning as there was a damsel in distress!
She's not too pleased with me, but she can't stand up properly so it's best for her to get some rest and she definitely needs a few good meals. Hopefully she can heal up and be released soon.

10/18/2022

❤️❤️❤️

10/16/2022

The neonate ward is full! We have little Precious who is just about to open her eyes (she's the tiny werewolf looking one)
Then we have Wednesday and Pugsley (named by some of you last week!) and two new boys in today whose mama hadn't been back in 24 hours. Luckily they were still in good health.
Unfortunately as I'm still not well, I will be giving these beauties to other rehabbers so I can focus on getting better. I hate having to do that but it's best for myself and the babies to get the good quality care they need!
❤️🦝

10/11/2022

"Some call me...... Tim"
(Leave a 🐰 emoji if you get the reference!)
This little girl was brought to me by two young ladies. They thought she was a boy and called her Tim! So Tim, she is. We don't mind what gender names our babies have here! As long as they're healthy and loved. 😊❤️🦝

10/07/2022

Look at these two sweet little trash pandas. A boy and girl found on a sidewalk without their mama! They're doing really well but no names yet! 🦝❤️

09/19/2022

Another mange baby! He was found in Gulfport by a couple of fantastic animal lovers. This boy's name is Oliver (after his rescuer). He will be getting the antiparasitic shampoo and revolution treatment and hopefully will be looking much better in no time!

Thank you Oliver, Dianne, and Marianne for the mission. It takes a team!

09/15/2022

Geeez! Poor mum.. the pouches of kangaroos get huge when the joey has almost grown out of it, so I can't imagine how uncomfortable it would be with two in there!

09/15/2022

Baby raccoon

This sweet girl fell out of a tree in Fort de Soto, and the Rangers tried to reunite her with mum unsuccessfully. She's doing great here and is such a beautiful little cuddlebug. My daughter wanted to name her, so she is named after one of her besties... Zoey!

09/11/2022

💔 Very well said! It's so true. I have said a thousand times that I wish they could understand me so I could tell them I am helping them and I promise to not hurt them. That they can trust me and they will be free once they're ready.

I wish I could tell them.

I know, to them, this is torture: they lost their mothers, were carried away by two-legged monsters, and were locked in cages.

Every day, I see them cower in fear when I’m cleaning up after them or filling their water bowls.

Every day, I see them checking over and over again for gaps and cracks that they could use to escape.

Every day, I’m thankful that they are wild and that they’re fearful of humans… but, every day, they break my heart.

I wish I could tell them that there are tens of thousands of people all over the world who watch their journeys. That there are hundreds of people who send donations toward their care. That there are thousands who cried with them over the loss of their mothers, and will rejoice with them when they finally have their freedom.

I wish I could tell them that they will, one day, be free.

I see them waiting, desperately. I see them pacing and whimpering, when all the toys and exercise wheels and hammocks in the world aren’t enough of a distraction. When they can see the forest out there and they can hear the birdsong and they can smell the mushrooms and the grubs quickening in rotting logs. Their hearts and bodies long for the wild they’ve never known, and I have no way to comfort them.

In the midst of all of it, I get so many phone calls and messages: “I’ve raised a wild raccoon and he’s mean now.” or “I’ve raised a wild raccoon and he keeps climbing on things.” Or “I’ve raised a wild raccoon and he won’t use the litter box.” So many owners of these “pet” raccoons take comfort in the idea that their pets— now far too tame to ever know the freedom of the wilderness— can have happy lives in zoos or sanctuaries.

While a life in captivity can sometimes be acceptable, it is always second-best. Because anyone who has ever known a raccoon knows that they never, ever stop waiting for their freedom.

These are not pets. They’re not weekend hobbies. They’re not something to try out and see how it goes and dump on a rehabilitator only when the damage is done. They’re wild creatures with wild souls, and they deserve the life they were made for.

09/08/2022

Baby Raccoon eating watermelon

BabyNat munching on a yummy treat 🍉

09/07/2022

Baby raccoons playing

Bean loves to wrestle with my hand! BabyNat just want to lick it. They have such different personalities and go crazy when Mama hoses out the enclosure 💦

09/04/2022

These boys were found in the cabin of a boat that had been sitting in the Florida Keys. They have severe mange :(
I have treated them with capstar, ivermectin, and a good scrubby bath in special coal tar antiparasitic sulfur shampoo. They were NOT pleased!
I've told them how handsome they are, so to prove it, their names are Adonis and Don Juan.
Thanks to Jesus and his Step Dad for contacting me about these babies!