Spring 2021 Orphaned Babies at WildCare
Black-tailed Deer Fawn #21-942
This Black-tailed Deer fawn was rescued from being stuck in a wire fence. His rescuers saw him entangled, and knew he needed help. They called the Marin Humane officer on duty, who transported the fawn to WildCare.
The young deer was dehydrated upon intake to the Wildlife Hospital, but an exam and radiographs showed that he did not have any injuries. After being given a warm electrolyte solution and subcutaneous fluids, he became much more alert, and demonstrated that he could stand on his own.
WildCare is a teaching hospital, and in the video above you can see Melanie, our Director of Animal Care, teaching Laura, one of our Wildlife Hospital Interns, how to bottle-feed a fawn. This is more challenging than you might think! Even when the baby is thirsty, getting the technique right takes some practice. Both Laura and the fawn did great.
Our team kept this fawn overnight for observation, and then, after confirming with his rescuers that the mother deer had been seen nearby, successfully reunited him with his mother the next morning.
House Finches #21-948 - 951
These tiny nestling House Finches were orphaned when their nest was destroyed during a construction project at an apartment complex.
Nestlings this small need to be fed a special songbird mash every 30 minutes, and must be kept in an incubator at just the right temperature, because they are not yet able to thermoregulate (control their own body temperature) at this age.
In this video you can see our Birdroom Manager giving each baby just enough food to fill each tiny crop. It's a delicate job!
Remember to always call WildCare's Hotline at 415-456-7283 if you find nestling or fledgling baby birds. Some babies may be able to be reunited with their parents, but some may not.
These little ones will be in care until they are old enough to be released back to the wild.
Western Gray Squirrel #21-652
This baby Western Gray Squirrel fell from her nest high in a palm tree and hit the ground hard. She arrived at WildCare's Wildlife Hospital cold and quiet, with blood in her nose, and some scrapes and abrasions on her body.
Fortunately a few days of warmth and good care have given her a new lease on life!
Watch her enjoy her lunch of special squirrel formula in this video. At this age, baby squirrels must be fed this special formula every four hours, around the clock. Our dedicated Squirrel Foster Care Team members work hard to ensure that each baby receives the regular meals and care he or she needs. As these babies grow, we will offer them formula less and less often, while introducing them to all the foods they'll find in the wild as adult squirrels.
This baby squirrel will grow up with other orphaned Western Gray Squirrels. We always raise baby animals with members of their own species, and we minimize contact with humans to make sure that all of the orphaned baby animals in our care grow up wild.
She and her foster siblings will be released back to the wild once they are old enough.
White-tailed Kite #21-942
This young kite was found on the ground calling for his parents to come feed him.
His rescuers did the right thing: they called WildCare's Hotline 415-456-7283. Our Wildlife Services Representative informed them that kites will not feed their young on the ground, so the bird definitely needed help. They brought the fledgling to the Wildlife Hospital.
The kite was a little dehydrated on intake, and he was hungry. In the video above you can see our team offering him pieces of mouse, which he seems willing enough to take, despite the strangeness of the situation.
He will remain in care while our Raptor Rescue and Reunite team goes into action to find his nest. If the parent birds can be found, with the help of a volunteer arborist to climb the tree, we will reunite this baby with his family.