This Duckling Nearly Drowned
A mother Mallard leads her ducklings to water as soon as possible after they hatch, but the water source she chooses isn’t always safe!This duckling’s mother led him and his siblings to a swimming pool where, unfortunately, it was easy for the ducklings to get in, but impossible for them to get back out!The homeowner…
Orphaned Opossums at WildCare
These baby Virginia Opossums came to WildCare after a very traumatic experience: their mother wandered too close to a road, and was killed by a car. Astonishingly, although not all of her babies survived, these four baby opossums managed to live through the collision that killed their mother! The marsupium, or pouch, seems like an odd adaptation…
Baby Jackrabbits and Fawns — the 5 Cs
Every spring WildCare admits a number of animals, usually fawns and baby jackrabbits, but also fledgling birds, that have been “kidnapped” by well-meaning people who found them alone and assumed they needed help. In fact, one in five of the fawns brought to WildCare in 2023 were healthy and were promptly returned to their mothers’…
First Baby Squirrel of 2024
It’s not exactly unusual for WildCare to admit our first tiny, pink baby squirrel in the month of February, but it’s not the norm either!WildCare admits over 80% of our patients between April and August, most of them orphaned baby animals. This little one’s arrival on February 23rd indicates that we are looking at an…
Pigeon with an Inverted Beak
If you just glance at this pigeon patient in WildCare’s Wildlife Hospital, it looks like he is missing the top part of his beak. However, with a closer look you can see that the top beak section is not actually missing! It has been forcibly folded inward and down past the bottom beak, becoming painfully…
Red-tailed Hawk
Was this Red-tailed Hawk abducted by aliens? You might think so, seeing the gory things poking out of her chest. Everyone who saw this bird in the Wildlife Hospital immediately thought of the 1979 Ridley Scott movie Alien.Fortunately, aliens aren’t involved in this case! This bird was likely hit by a car, and the force…
Meet Didi the Virginia Opossum
WildCare would like you to meet our newest Wildlife Ambassador, Didi the Virginia Opossum! Didi came to us late last year after being caught by a cat. Although she didn’t have any obvious wounds, an X-ray revealed she has hip dysplasia: her hips do not sit in their sockets like they should. This impacts her walking…
December Baby Raccoon
You’ve likely seen mention of “Wildlife Baby Season” in WildCare emails and stories, referring to the months between about March and August when weather is milder, days are longer, natural food sources are more abundant, and most wild animals are working on raising their young.WildCare admits about 80% of our annual patients during these busy…
Give Wildlife a “Brake”
Why would an owl get hit by a car? As the days get shorter, and even before the clocks fall back, WildCare sees a significant increase in the number of animals hit by vehicles arriving at our Wildlife Hospital.Although he’s smaller than most, this Saw-whet Owl was no exception- he was clipped by a car…
Be Bear Aware!
On June 13, 2023, security cameras on a house in San Rafael’s Terra Linda area captured images of a Black Bear nosing through clutter in a side yard. A few days later, a mother bear and cubs were sighted in Novato. Clearly Black Bears have become part of Marin’s wildlife landscape! Seeing a Black Bear…