Wildlife Rescue After the Fires

Wildlife Rescue of Sonoma County  received its first fire related patient, on Saturday, Oct 21st. A juvenile bobcat weighing only 3.4 pounds was transferred to the Sonoma County facility from Napa County.

"His paws were severely burned and he was suffering from advanced emaciation and dehydration as he could no longer care for himself," says Doris Duncan, executive director of Wildlife Rescue. Unfortunately, he died in their hands on the exam table, thirty minutes after admittance.

"Sometimes when animals like this are suffering so tremendously, the stress of being caught and brought in to care, is more than they can handle and they just check out," says Doris. 

Just when they thought the wildlife had made it out of the fires safely, staff at the center are now beginning to see and hear about its victims. "Most of us know from working with wildlife, that they must be as strong and skilled as an athlete training for the Olympics to survive in the wild," Doris explains. "And yes, they are born with strong survival instincts. This is what kept most of them from becoming trapped by the fires and perishing. They could smell the fires coming long before us and evacuated. This is what we explained over and over to our many supporters calling, who were so concerned about our wildlife living in the habitats that were overtaken by the firestorms."  Not all were so lucky.  Many of the younger and older animals are now displaced or injured from burns. Staff at the center are also concerned about them being able to feed and care for themselves with no food left or homes to live in amongst the thousands of acres burned. Please pay close attention to animals you may see when out on walks or hikes, getting up early or coming home late from work.    Here are signs of animals in need of rescue and care: Wandering around during the day Appearing lost or dazed Looking thin and or sickly Signs of injuries can be noticed like limping, dragging limbs, laying on their sides in the open or partially  hidden   Be vigilant and call the Wildlife Hotline at 707-526-9453 and report anything that concerns you. You will hear a recorded greeting but, do leave a message as the center has 21 shifts a week, staffed by experienced volunteers who are waiting to help. If you feel it is an emergency,  call 707-486-0226 and your concerns will be addressed immediately.