The frigid winter air in rural Wisconsin is 20 degrees below zero. 

The last few days we've been busy providing extra shelter, extra bedding, extra food. to the animals in our care outdoors.  This means putting up tarps and heavy plastic over exposed areas of outside caging, giving the deer and rabbits mounds of timothy hay to curl up into (and munch if they like), providing the squirrels extra bedding to make their nest boxes cozy and putting heat pads in with the hawks and owls so that food and water stay thawed and accessible to them.  It's sweet to visit the deer barn in the morning and see all the little impressions of resident wildlife who shared the warmth during the night.  We know we have opossum and a stray cat who visit with the deer.

New patients arrive every day, including two screech owl siblings who were found tangled in the snow squabbling over a morsel of food, and a starving red-breasted merganser, who quickly adapted to fishing minnows out of his bowl when finally able to feed himself.  Two beautiful cottontail rabbits, a male and female, were injured when they were hit by cars and suffered head trauma.  They and we are fortunate that kind people took the time to rescue them when they were found injured and all are doing well at this writing.

Although we haven't yet tabulated patient information for 2013, we know there was an increase in the amount of animals we had in care, including increased numbers of both birds of prey (hawks, owls and others) and rabbits and squirrels.

Going through the individual admit records gives us a chance to remember every individual life that passed through our hands, including those who are pictured below.  The little rabbit in the snow?  He was raised from just one day old, after he was orphaned when his mother was killed.  He was born late in the year, so is overwintering with two others.  The sandhill crane was admitted starving after he accidentally stabbed a rubber grommet while feeding and his bill was rendered useless.  The squirrel is one of many late babies who enjoyed Christmas morning with special treats, including dried apple on a stick, while the red-tailed hawk was released during one of our 'warm' spells, along with two great-horned owls, recovered from their injuries.  The posse of common nighthawks shown at feeding time include some permanent birds and others who will be released in the spring, and the deer kissing--they live at Fellow Mortals permanently.

We can't begin to find the words to say 'thank you' for helping to make so many happy endings possible, and for helping us to continue our work--even during the harshest days of winter.   May your kindness to the innocent creatures who need you warm your heart in the coldest times.  Happy New Year from your Fellow Mortals, wild and human.

Links:

• Winter Wildlife Injury Prevention