Wilderness Haven--A Tour of Our Facility
Wilderness Haven is not a large facility, staffed by a huge number of people. We are a small organization, consisting of one New York State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, and two Licensed Wildlife Assistants. We also can boast of three small fuzzy mascots at the Center, whose photos will appear later in this tour.
Admissions and Treatment
When an animal first comes into the Center, we will place it in a holding cage in a dark quiet corner of our admissions area. The animal will be allowed to rest and relax awhile before we start treatment. This minimizes the amount of stress the animal will experience.
The first step in treatment is a good physical exam to determine the
exact extent of the illness or injury. This will be done in our treatment area.
After we are sure we
know what the problem is, we will know how to proceed with treatment.
The most crucial step in treatment is rehydration, since 90% of the
animals brought in for rehabilitation are dehydrated. Note the IV bag in
the treatment area. Many animals can take fluids orally, but some need
subcutaneous injection of fluids. At the Center we are prepared for both
methods of rehydration. We use the IV fluids thatare
used in human hospitals, including Lactated Ringer's and Normal Saline solutions
Many animals need
medications for infections and often local medications for wounds. We
work with an excellent veterinarian for this purpose and medications are
sometimes compounded at the local pharmacy, according to the vet's
instructions. Medications needing refrigeration (such as liquid antibiotics) are stored in the refrigerator in the facility kitchen.
Any treatments needed by the rescued animal, such as wound care,
immobilization of fractures, fluid replacement, are all done in the
treatment area.
Kitchen Facilities
Our kitchen area is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave and a
large countertop for food preparation, complete with a good size cutting
board. Storage shelves for dishes and dry food products are located
under the counter.
We
actually spend a lot of time in the food prep area since good
nutrition is fundamental to health and the healing process. We chop
fruits and vegetables, mix formulas, measure portions and dish food into
bowls for distribution to the current assortment of patients. We care
for quite a few orphans during the course of the rehab season and
preparing the formulas for the different species can be time consuming.
Opossums in particular
have very specific needs, and the formula needs
to address all these needs. Even when they start solid foods, opossums
demand special feeding care.
Our kitchen also houses all the specific foods needed by squirrels, from
formula, to nuts, to fruits and vegetables. Our refrigerator is always
stocked with these fruits & vegetables, along with the formulas and a
good supply of fresh dandelion greens for all those baby bunnies.
Convalescent/Recovery
As an
animal heals and begins to be more active, or as baby animals grow, they
will need larger cages and more space to move around. Exercise is
essential to keep limbs flexible and to strengthen injured body parts.
We have larger caging both indoors and outdoors, and we move our
patients as the need arises. The photos below show some of our
additional indoor caging.
