I’ve probably posted about this before, but every time an animal comes in stuck to a glue trap, it makes me sad.

Glue traps are marketed as an efficient, cheap and humane way to kill rodents, but there is nothing humane about causing an animal to starve/dehydrate to death while struggling to free themselves from the glue trap.  Many times, rodents will try to chew their limbs off in desperation to escape.

When these animals come in, I immediately anesthetize them with gas anesthesia.  The picture below is a House Mouse that was admitted this morning under anesthesia (I didn’t want to take the time to photograph it before anesthetizing it; besides, there are plenty of videos on YouTube of live rodents stuck to glue traps if you want to see first-hand how stressed these animals are).

Once anesthetized, I used vegetable oil to eliminate the stickiness from the glue trap.  The mouse came off easily.

Ideally, the animal would then get a bath with Dawn dishsoap to remove the oil, but this little mouse was too unstable for any more anesthesia.  Here’s a picture of it recovering.

It’s awake, but pretty stressed from the ordeal.  We gave it an anti-inflammatory medication and a quiet, warm enclosure to rest in.

These traps are incredibly inhumane and unnecessary.  The animal can NOT remove itself from the trap; it will violently struggle and struggle until it dies.  After we removed and treated the mouse, we used the half of the glue trap that wasn’t covered in oil to demonstrate the strength of the adhesive.  As you can see from the picture below (a visiting veterinary student from Sweden, Maja-Lisa, is demonstrating), just half of the glue trap is able to hold an almost full gallon of water with no problem.

Another horrific thing about glue traps is they get stuck to ANYTHING (not just rodents).  We see just as many “non-target” species as we do rodents on glue traps.  The pictures below is a sparrow (they eat off the ground, too). Last summer we admitted five big brown bats stuck to two different glue traps. Unfortunately the bats had struggled so much they had torn their wing webbing and broken their delicate wing bones; they all had to be euthanized.

If you do have a rodent problem, please, don’t use these glue traps.  There are inexpensive metal live traps that you can purchase at any hardware store. The best part? It’s incredibly easy to release the mice from these traps and there’s no mess that you have with traditional mousetraps. Even standard snap traps are much more accurate and humane (causing death in less than a second).  But remember: You need to block off/fix how the rodents are getting into your house, otherwise it’ll be an ongoing battle.

As described in my last post, West Nile Virus (WNV) was extremely prevalent this summer, and WRC was receiving several crows each day who had symptoms of WNV. The problem was differentiating WNV (which is likely not treatable in crows) from many other diseases (which are treatable). Here’s a brief video of a crow presenting imbalance and weakness in its legs, symptomatic of WNV. You can see by the video how subtle, and possibly indicative of other issues, the symptoms are.

A few weeks went by, August was creeping in, and I was starting to suffer from compassion fatigue.  We would admit several crows a day with these vague symptoms, put them on supportive care (there isn’t much else you can do for any of the possible diagnoses), and over the next few days watch them continue to weaken and die.  All the literature from the first strain of WNV in New York (WNV ’99) talked about a 100% fatality rate for American Crows.

I believe that my job is to minimize patient suffering.  If these crows have WNV and are just going to die, I would rather humanely euthanize them on admission than have them suffer and slowly die.  If we could diagnose them as truly having WNV on admission, then we could prevent prolonged suffering.

It was still our busy season at this point, but when I wasn’t admitting the 50+animals/day, rechecking the 100+  in-care patients, or answering questions from our veterinary students, veterinary technician students or the hundreds of volunteers that help us care for these animals, I could be found on the computer, searching for an in-house WNV diagnostic test we could afford.  Finally, I found a test called the “VecTest” that we could do in-house.  The only problem was the price, so two days later I brought it to the rest of the staff of WRC: Could we justify the cost of the test to diagnose WNV on admit?  The answer was a unanimous, yes!  So I left the meeting and immediately ordered the test online.

That weekend was loooooonng.  We admitted another six unbalanced, weak crows per day, and I continued to treat them, waiting impatiently for the test to arrive.

That Monday I called the distributor to see what the delay was – we hadn’t received the tests yet.  Three phone calls and 2 hours later I found out that the manufacturer had discontinued producing the VecTest.

Now what were we supposed to do with all of the suspect crows?  Check back here next week to find out…

Wow.

What a summer.  As you’ve probably heard or noticed, West Nile Virus (WNV) was extremely prevalent in Minnesota this summer.

WNV is what they call an “emergent disease,” meaning we recently discovered it and there’s a lot we don’t know about it.  I was taught very little about WNV in veterinary school and what I was taught has changed drastically since then.

We saw nearly 100 WNV-suspect animals this summer.  Working directly with these animals and trying to make choices in their best interest, even though there is no one resource telling me what to do, has been difficult.  It has been a journey of new discovery, many hours of researching, and dozens of emails and phone calls reaching out to professionals in all different fields trying to put this puzzle together.

It has taken me personally on a roller coaster of  extreme emotions: extremely frustrated when  a half-dozen WNV-suspect birds are admitted each day, extremely happy when I learn new information that may help me treat them, extremely sad when these WNV-suspect patients die, etc.

Finally, we’re  coming to the end of “WNV season” and I can breathe, process what I’ve learned, and try to draw conclusions that will help WNV-infected birds in the future.

I’d like to take you with me as I process everything and examine what we know now about WNV.  Hopefully this series will give you a bit of insight into a small part of what I do on a daily basis, and help you understand how we blend scientific discovery with compassion in order to help these amazing wild animals.

WNV Part 1: coming soon!

Saturday, Aug. 4, was certainly a wonderful night for the wild ones.  A perfect summer evening set the stage for more than 300 guests gathered in a beautiful natural setting to celebrate our 10^th annual gala and raise money for the thousands of injured and orphaned wild animals WRC treats each year.

It was especially fitting to honor founding board members, Kate Johnson, Kathy Knauth, Paige Winebarger and Paige’s late husband Bob Teetshorn.  WRC is a well-established organization in the community; but that wasn’t always the case.  In fact if not for these very special people there would likely not be a WRC today.

We capped off a successful auction and evening with a raspberry champagne “Toast to the Wild Ones;” saluting past honorees and recognizing people in attendance who had been sponsors for all 10 events.  Although unable to attend, our toast included our first honoree and premier sponsor for all ten years, Babs Koch.

All our past honorees and this year’s: (l to r)  Rick and Carmen Diamond, 10-year sponsors; Nancy and Clarkson Lindley, 10-year sponsors; Cliff Otten, 2011 honoree; Kate Johnson, 2012 honoree; Susan and Jon Campbell, 2009 honorees and representing 10-year sponsor Wells Fargo; Paige Winebarger, 2012 honoree; and Phil Jenni, WRC Executive Director.

A successful event requires a great deal of planning, teamwork and energy.  We are blessed to have an amazing event committee headed this year by WRC board member Bill Bosch, and managed by event consultant Nancy Lindley.  Our thanks to the many people who contributed time, talent and treasure to make this special evening come alive.

HOSTS
Richard and Jude Miller Burke

HONOREES
Kate Johnson
Kathy Knauth
Bob Teetshorn
Paige Winebarger

HONORARY EVENT CHAIRS
Barbara “Babs” Koch
Harry Sweatt
Zita Hawley Wright

CHAIR
Bill Bosch

PAST CHAIR
Virginia Lord

EVENT COMMITTEE
ADVISOR
Kate Johnson

SECRETARY
Pat Johnston

TREASURER
Lenny Dayton

David Busch
Kerry D’Amato
Kati Campbell
Susan Carlson
Tim Colliton
Andrea Edmonson
Kay Erickson
Mark Ettinger
John Faricy
Darcy Haislet
Jim Hale
Sharon Hale
Mary Holmes
Kathy Johnson
Carla Liesch
Peggy Pallus
Brittany Poole
Kathi Roer
Gary Roller
Tom Steinke
Deb K. Van de Ven
Bonnie Williams
Kathy Winter

Platinum Sponsor
($15,000+)

Babs & David Koch

Gold Sponsors
($5,000 +)

Kerry D’Amato
Faricy Law Firm
Marquette Asset Management
Walt McCarthy & Clara Ueland
Trust Point
Wells Fargo

Silver Sponsors
($2,500 +)

Susan & Alan Carlson
Ted Erickson
Mary Holmes
Peggy Menzel & Ed Craegan
Otten Bros.

Bronze Sponsors
($1,000+)

Mary Lee Dayton
Rick & Carmen Diamond
Jim & Sharon Hale
Halunen and Associates
Phil Jenni
Kate Johnson & Scott Berry
Kathy Knauth
Jim & Joni Lane
Nik Larson
Nancy & Clarkson Lindley
Dale & Randy Lindquist
Helen & Daniel Lindsay
Mary Faricy Pardue
Matt Shea, Gray, Plant, Mooty
Harry & Ginny Sweatt
Paige Winebarger

Enjoy more photos of the evening’s event here.

On June 23^rd, we admitted a young Sandhill Crane that was found on a couple’s property in Ramsey, Minn., with its parents and sibling, but was having difficulty walking. The property owners gently approached the young one and were able to safely capture it and brought it to the WRC.

Upon admission, it was noticed that the crane had a very swollen leg joint. Our rule-outs included trauma and infection. Radiographs revealed no fractures or dislocations, but moderate soft tissue swelling. We started the crane on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and watched closely for improvement.

After several days of monitoring the crane, Vet Renee decided to take the crane to surgery and open up the joint. She found a lot of pus and necrotic material, both indicative of an infection of some sort. Samples of the pus were sent to the University of Minnesota Diagnostic Laboratory, but no specific bacteria were isolated. The joint was cleaned out and flushed thoroughly. Over the next several days, the crane slowly but surely started to use the leg more and more, and the swelling began to decrease. After several days of monitoring and medications, the crane was deemed ready for release!

In most cases with young cranes, we don’t know where the family is or the crane’s injuries prevent it from being reunited shortly after separation. So the crane typically needs to be fostered with captive parents at another rehabilitation facility (like REGI in Wisconsin, where we have sent several other young cranes).

Another fact that makes reunification challenging, is that cranes imprint very easily. Since we decided to try to reunite this crane with its family, we had to be vigilant of this while it was with us. We limited our interactions with it, and made sure it was skittish of humans before attempting to reunite it with its family. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of returning the young crane to the residence at which it was found.

The owners of the property (who also brought the crane in), had been watching the parents and sibling the entire time the crane was with us via a hidden wildlife camera. Since the family was still around, successful reunification seemed highly probable.

The crane was placed in a temporary pen in the area of the yard where the crane family regularly visits (shown above with one of the parents looking on). Then the property owners sat back and waited. The parents saw the young one, and both parties were very curious about each other and seemed anxious to re-unite.

The owners then opened the pen and allowed the young crane to rejoin its family, which it did. They all went off into the wetlands. The next day we knew the reunion was successful when the family of four was spotted again, and then several times over the next few days via the wildlife camera (here’s one of the shots from the camera):

A successful release is always such a rewarding experience; however, re-uniting a young animal with its family takes on a whole new meaning, and I am so grateful I got to be a part of it!

Many thanks to the Weltes for their interest and support in reuniting the crane with its family, and for sharing these wonderful photos with us.

One of the best parts about working in the Avian Nursery  is seeing the process of a newly hatched bird growing up, being cared for by our interns and volunteers, becoming independent, and eventually getting released back into the wild.

Every year around late May to early June, Killdeer chicks inevitably get brought to the WRC for rehabilitation. These cute, tiny little “cotton ball on toothpick leg” orphans will eventually turn into elegant, sleek shorebirds that are commonly found on golf courses, sod farms, mudflats and other areas of low or no vegetation. They can be challenging to raise during their first week of life. Killdeer have very specific temperature, habitat and food requirements that need to be met. They also need to feel safe and secure before they will begin self-feeding….but once they start eating, there is no stopping them!

A newly admitted Killdeer chick snuggling into a warm towel.

5 weeks later, just prior to release.

Just released and already at home in a marsh!

Last week we released two juvenile Killdeer into a park next to a large marshy area, which is the perfect habitat for them as they demonstrated to us by seeking out food just moments after release. Watch a video of this here.

At this time of year our wards are packed with injured and orphaned animals and the halls are filled with interns.  WRC is a hopping place.  From my office, which happens to be located below our baby raccoon ward, the sound of chattering and squealing raccoons never stops. I n the background are the noises from our other animal wards: the strident caw of crows, the staccato of a pileated woodpecker drumming and the melodic symphony of dozens of songbirds.

For the most part I’m used to these noises; after all we have animals in the building year-round.

But what struck me today as I was passing through our volunteer lounge was a new sound.  Someone was chattering away in German and another person was happily talking with her family in Spanish.  The sounds of summer have taken on a new accent in recent years: the sound of foreign students Skyping with their families and friends telling them about their daily experiences here at WRC.

When I pause and think about this, it’s truly amazing to realize the international reach that we have.  Five visiting veterinarians from Colombia, Taiwan, Norway, Sweden, and Austria are with us this summer; we also have students from the United Kingdom and Norway.  In the past month we’ve had visitors from rehabilitation centers in China and South Korea.  WRC’s has established itself as an international go-to source for wildlife biology and vet students.

And students come from all over the United States, too.  We’re welcoming 12 fourth-year vet students from seven different schools this summer.  The course that we host in conjunction with the UMN’s Veterinary College is bringing in another four first-year vet students later this summer.

I’m pleased that we’re accomplishing a major part of our mission: to share our knowledge with others.  And I’m happy that these students are having a wonderful time while experiencing some of the best hands-on training they’ll ever have in their student careers.  It’s a tribute to our staff and our organization that WRC can provide this unique opportunity for students from around the globe.

caption: WRC Veterinarian Leslie Reed (right) examines a chickadee with visiting DVM Agnes Hutchinson (left) and Veterinary Student Sara Hofer. Hutchinson has just relocated to the Twin Cities from Austria and Hofer is a student at Iowa State.

Keller Golf Course in Maplewood isn’t just a haven for urban golfers. It’s a haven for urban Eastern Bluebirds.

With more than 30 bluebird nestboxes it’s easy to see why Keller has been certified an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International.

What does that mean for WRC? Not only does it mean we get to establish ties with community leaders (in fact, our Executive Director Phil Jenni is on the Ramsey County Park Commission),  it means we have lots of bluebird houses nearby that can be used for wild fostering of orphaned bluebirds. It’s a tricky business, this wild fostering. The birds have to be within a day, possibly two, of the other birds and that’s difficult to find in the wild.

Last week, Golf Course Superintendent Paul Diegnau met me at the maintenance building and we headed out across the course with a cardboard box containing two tiny bluebird nestlings that had been orphaned:

We headed to a bluebird house on the course that Paul had been monitoring. It’s in a gorgeous setting; bordering restored prairie habitat. In the house? Five wild bluebirds being well-tended to by their parents.

Paul carefully added two more chicks to the house:

And then we sat back and watched for a half hour to make sure the fostering had been successful. The female bluebird returned and perched on a nearby house for 10 minutes before entering her house. We were guessing that maybe she can distinguish her own nestling calls from the two new birds and was wondering about the new sounds.

In any event, she went in, checked things out and then continued on her daily pattern of catching bugs and bringing them back for now seven hungry mouths.

Paul followed up on the bluebird nest the next day, just to make sure things were going well. All seven chicks were active and alert, gaping to be fed.

With this wild foster we continue an amazing streak of 100% success in fostering orphaned bluebirds into wild homes. Many thanks to Paul Diegnau, his staff, and Keller Golf Course for welcoming two more bluebirds to their community.

note: If you monitor a bluebird trail in the Twin Cities and wish to be added to our list of resources for wild fostering, please email me and let me know your location and the date of your most recent egg hatch or, if you’re into your second brood and the eggs haven’t hatched yet, email me when they hatch.

Recently a newly hatched American Woodcock (or ‘Timberdoodle’) was admitted into our Avian Nursery. He won the hearts of everyone and even though he had just hatched, he was incredibly curious; running around exploring every corner of his enclosure.

Did you know that woodcock eggs split lengthwise during hatching? (Most eggs split width-wise!)

Even though woodcocks are technically a type of sandpiper, they live in young forests rather than near shorelines and live on worms and invertebrates that they find by probing their long beaks into the soil. Woodcocks are considered precocial since they are covered in downy feathers and have their eyes open when they hatch. Unlike most precocial birds though, they cannot feed themselves until about a week after hatching. For the first week of life they depend on their mother for this. Watch our little woodcock being fed here.

Our American Woodcock (left) sitting with a Killdeer chick.

So the Mammal Nursery may be overrun with squirrels and bunnies, and raccoons are arriving daily, but what about those other mammals, which may not be as common, but still need just as much care and attention? In fact, some of it very precise care due to their unique needs.

Already this year we’ve cared for numerous Red Fox kits, half a dozen baby opossums (or ‘joeys’), woodchuck cubs, a couple baby mink, a young beaver kit, a handful of baby mice, a coyote pup, as well as several flying squirrels and chipmunks!

Here’s one of the very tiny mink on day of admission. Animals this small go home with volunteers who have special permits from the MN DNR.

The opossums may be the most interesting to me, simply because, unlike all other ‘placental’ mammals in North America, they are the only marsupial. The babies are born at a very early stage in their development, and then make their way to the mother’s pouch to continue growing. Once within the confines of the pouch (or ‘marsupium’), they latch onto one of the mother’s nipples, and do not let go until they are ready to leave. Juvenile opossums may ride on the back of their mother until they are old enough to leave her altogether.

Because infant opossums are attached to the mother’s nipple at all times, they will not learn, like placental mammals, how to ‘suckle’ from a syringe or bottle. This means that when caring for them at the WRC, we have to feed them their formula using a gavage tube which is carefully inserted through their esophagus into their stomach.

Woodchuck parents usually give birth to a litter of five young, which wean relatively quickly at around five weeks old. Woodchucks are known at the WRC for being bundles of ‘pure muscle,” and, as adults, exceptionally aggressive. The young start to exhibit the same characteristics at weaning age, and generally tend to be hostile toward humans. Although this may seem like a negative trait, we, as wildlife rehabbers, seek this type of behaviour! It is a good sign that when released they will not walk up to the next human they encounter, wanting food, and instead will behave like any other wild woodchuck. The cub we have at current is so young it cannot yet see; most likely only a couple of weeks old (they open their eyes during their third week).

At birth, mice ‘pups’ are hairless, blind and have closed (flattened) ears. They can weigh as little as 0.5g (0.02 oz)! They mature relatively quickly, and at about 3 weeks old (10 g or 0.35 oz) will stop nursing. At one month old they will leave the mother, and at 3 to 4 months old will be ready to mate! This may seem very fast, but things have to happen quickly when your life expectancy is, on average, only two years. We feed the mice pups at WRC with special ‘mice feeding tips’ and give them less than 0.5 ml of formula at each feeding. As soon as their eyes open we offer them sunflower seeds, small pieces of fruit and bird seed, and a soaked ‘rodent chow’ with formula. From there they quickly learn to forage on their own.

The flying squirrels we admitted were very young and orphaned when a dead tree was cut down. We’ll be able to determine whether they’re Southern Flying Squirrels or Northern Flying Squirrels when they’re a bit older. Here’s how tiny they were at the time of admission: