The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota provides
quality medical care and rehabilitation for all injured,
sick and orphaned wildlife, and shares its knowledge
with the people who care about them.

Our patients change on a regular basis and are somewhat predictable: in the fall and spring we have migrants that are passing through. From mid-April to early August, we're busy caring for orphaned and sick infants and juveniles. During the winter we're bound to have bats and turtles, but we'll also usually have an assortment of waterfowl such as swans, pelicans and geese.

This page will contain some of our patient highlights. For the most up-to-date patient news, subscribe to our emails and visit our blog, The Pulse (which you can subscribe to via RSS).

For a more in-depth look at some of our patients' cases, visit our Case Studies.

This story is one of the best examples of how medical treatment can save an animal's life. When admitted, this Red Fox was severely infested with mange (caused by a microscopic mite).

Mange is easily spread to other animals. Untreated, the animal may die due to fur loss, skin infections and loss of energy, resulting in starvation.

Several weeks of treatment resulted in weight gain, fur regrowth and a healthy fox being released back into the wild.

Possibly our 2010 award winners for cutest patients. These adorable young River Otters were actually admitted separately, but were so close in age we were able to raise them together. In fact, they formed a fast bond and would protect one another when we entered the room to clean it.

We were fortunate to receive approval from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to release the otters in the protected land and waters of the Minnesota River Valley.

To see the full impact of their cuteness, view their videos. We have a very short clip of them sliding into their pool at WRC, another of them enjoying crayfish for the first time, and then their release video filmed by KARE11.

Viriginia Rails are elusive birds often found in marshes. To give you an idea of how solitary they are, we typically only see one a year - if at all.

This one had most likely been clipped by a car and was suffering from head trauma. You can watch a recheck exam performed by WRC Vet Leslie.

Found in the client's basement, this tiny garter snake probably had chosen an unfortunate hibernation location. We see many snakes and frogs throughout the winter as a result of disturbed hibernation.

This Gray Tree Frog joined three other tree frogs at WRC in the middle of winter while they waited for spring. Oftentimes frogs and snakes will choose to hibernate in a flower pot. When that pot is brought inside for over-wintering, the soil warms and the animal awakes from hibernation: much to the delight of the clients who find them.

While we receive many Trumpeter Swans throughout the year, some of them capture our hearts (and the media) more than others.

Read about Swan 03A who, after being shot, rehabilitated, rebanded as 88F and released, actually traveled miles to reunite with his mate.