Thanks
to the Clifton Forge Police Department and employees of Norfolk-Southern Railroad system,
this raccoon is back in the wild climbing trees, catching crayfish and doing whatever it
is that raccoons do!Recovery Zone |
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Roanoke Wildlife Rescue News |
Winter Edition |
Giving Nature a Helping Hand
Critter of the QuarterBoxcar Willie" is one of our happy stories.
Thanks
to the Clifton Forge Police Department and employees of Norfolk-Southern Railroad system,
this raccoon is back in the wild climbing trees, catching crayfish and doing whatever it
is that raccoons do!
A vacant boxcar was designated as the mode of transportation for a load of crossties that N-S workers needed to transport from one location to another. Four days later, as they were removing the heavy wood beams they discovered this terrified raccoon with a broken back leg trapped under the heap of wood.
The Clifton Forge Police Department responded to the call for assistance and safely removed the injured raccoon from the scene. Roanoke Wildlife Rescue acknowledged their request for assistance and transported "Willie" to the Center for evaluation. Presenting as a very healthy male raccoon, he was diagnosed with a multiple fracture of the femur(rear leg) and a fractured pelvis. Thanks to the efforts of our wonderful medical team the repair was accomplished by pinning the bone together again. Be advised that it was the attending physician on this case who gave Boxcar Willie his name.
This critter of the quarter recovered nicely and was transported back to the Clifton Forge area twelve weeks later.We want to thank everyone involved in this rescue. Wonderful things happen when people work together.
What a Nuisance!
Some animals and their activities are perceived as a nuisance by humans without ever considering the benefits those same animals provide for the environment..One animal that is often considered a nuisance is the mole. The three species of moles that may be found in our region are the Hairy-tailed mole, the Eastern mole, and the Star-nosed mole. Moles are considered a nuisance for the series of tunnels they create which may be noticed as raised ridges in an otherwise manicured lawn. The series of tunnels may consist of main travelways and burrows used for foraging. A mole can burrow as much as a foot per minute and the ridges it leaves behind may be 6-8 inches high. The desire to rid a lawn of molehills can lead a desperate homeowner to use harsh, dangerous, and sometimes inhumane methods. The tunnels and ridges left by the moles are beneficial to the earth. The moles aerate the soil which allows the rain to penetrate the soil and reduces erosion.
Groundhogs or Woodchucks can also be considered undesirable. A hungry groundhog can be very destructive to a garden. In spite of their destructiveness, consider all the valuable benefits they provide to the earth. Groundhogs create burrows that can be up to five feet deep and 30 feet long. One or more tunnels connect to a nesting chamber. A separate excrement chamber fertilizes the earth. Like the mole, groundhogs aerate the soil. Aeration of the soil allows moisture and organic matter in and subsoil up. It is estimated that groundhogs turn more than 1.6 million tons of soil per year in New York state. In addition to the benefits they provide the earth, groundhogs also are beneficial to other wildlife. The burrows they create and vacate become homes for other wildlife such as rabbits, skunks, opossums, raccoons, and foxes. In moderate numbers, groundhogs prove to be very valuable.
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Destructive is often a word associated with Beavers. Responding to their natural instinct to stop the flow of running water, Beavers build dams with the materials available to them which usually consists of small trees of two to six inches in diameter, but could be as large as 33 inches thick. Most of the trees selected by beavers have little value as timber. Although there can be problems with the dams created by Beavers, there are also benefits. Dams help to reduce erosion. The ponds that are formed provide habitats for various life forms, and a place to feed and water for other wildlife. With the decrease of habitats due to human encroachment, wildlife is forced to adapt to our intrusion into their habitat. As we begin to understand wildlife, we are less likely to see it as a nuisance and we can begin to appreciate the role each animal plays when nature is in balance.
Information on Moles, Groundhogs and Beavers taken from the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals
New Mailing Address
The new mailing address for our agency is as follows:
5931 Cotton Hill Road, Roanoke, VA 24018-5268.
This is where we have been since 1993 and we don’t anticipate any changes now. We can be reached at 989-3798 during the hours listed below. After hours, you may leave a message on voice mail.
Our availability during the week is as follows:
M-F 10am-7pm Sat/Sun 10am-5pm Holidays 10am-4pm
And be advised that we are now a "Mammals Only" Center! That includes reptiles and amphibians. . . . WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY TAKING ANY BIRDS. The Federal Permit for all birds is with a new organization in the Bedford area - Wildlife Care Alliance. The telephone number we have for them is: 540/587-4007.
Another resource for birds for those of you who are in the Roanoke area is Valley Animal Hospital on Hildebrand Ave. [located behind Charcoal Steak House on Williamson Road]. Dr. Poage has a federal permit and will accept birds at his facility. Telephone number for Valley is 540/366-3433.
Center Expansion Continues To Accommodate Babies
Roanoke Wildlife Rescue is fortunate to have ten (10) members of its volunteer team currently immunized with the pre-rabies vaccine. And these members of our team have been well trained to appropriately and safely care for rabies-vector animals such as raccoons, foxes and skunks. The new Raccoon Habitat had a busy summer with many happy and healthy raccoons who either needed time to grow up or who needed to recover from serious injury [i.e. Boxcar Willie]. Raccoons have two nesting seasons; the first is in April & May, and the second is in August & September.
Thanks to your continued financial support, we are able to up-grade our facilities to provide better management of our "wild" charges. We thank you for your kindness and support.
On the Web
Check us out on the Web. Go to www.roanokewildlife.org for our initial presentation to the public. This feat has been accomplished under the close direction and computer savvy of one of our long time friends and supporters, Bill Owen.
And we want to recognize the efforts of the committee consisting of the following volunteers:
Cole& Dee Dee Hartson, Toni Walthall, Diane Campbell, and Brenda Ragland.
Phase I of this project is now complete and we are working on phase II which we hope to have ready to present by early Spring.
Land Issue is Resolved
As you may recall, the Runion’s have been in a family land dispute for almost four years. The matter is now resolved. Roanoke Wildlife Rescue shall remain at it’s original site We won the battle but lost the war! The twenty+ acres surrounding the Runion home will be developed. Our plans to relocate the Center on adjoining property will not come to pass. We will have several acres of land to work with according to the final settlement agreement and we don’t have to move from this location. Our new Board of Directors will be looking for relocation options in the future. The Center needs it’s own place and space - away from the Runion’s home. But we are excited that we are able to continue our work in the Roanoke Valley and southwestern Virginia. We look forward to a bright future and a chance for continued growth.
Be A Volunteer
Giving something back is what it’s all about. Lending a helping hand
to an injured, orphaned or displaced wild animal at 
Roanoke Wildlife Rescue can provide you with
a feeling of accomplishment as you perform routine tasks concerning the proper management
of some of Virginia’s wildlife.You will receive on-the-job training by a qualified
member of the organization.
Join us soon so that we might have you well trained and prepared for the "spring" & "summer rush"! Baby season begins in early March and several species of mammals found in Virginia have two or more nesting seasons. If this prospect interests you, please call Diane Campbell at the Center, 989-3798. She will arrange a time for your introduction to this facility and on-site training. You can complete a volunteer form at our web site address. Send it to us via e-mail and we will contact you concerning a training date.
Eagle Scouts Help with Habitats
Adam Light completed his Eagle Scout project last Spring when he organized and directed the clearing of the wooded area behind our home. This endeavor included grading areas for caging, laying gravel paths to these areas, providing steps to the walk-ways, installing cable for outside lighting and running a water line to the outside caging area for watering and cleaning purposes.This has been a gift from God. And Adam, we can’t thank you enough.
Steve Leitten and his scout troop constructed our first bird aviary and it’s beautiful. The young song birds who have utilized this wonderful structure have been strong, healthy and well prepared for release. Since we have modified our in-take list to mammals only, we will utilize this wonderful enclosure for squirrels, flying squirrels, etc.
This year Jeff Fralin and his fellow Eagle Scouts constructed 3 reptile enclosures of various sizes that have already been put to good use. These cages were specifically designed to provide for the safety of the reptile as well as the safety of the staff involved in the daily care of that animal.
David Dearing provided us with four (4) more recovery cages for birds of
prey so we are very anxious to get our Federal
permit renewed so that we can
continue our work in that area. These cages are magnificent and the construction is
impeccable.
Bobby & Johnny Blanding constructed three (3) outdoor enclosures with the help of their scout counterparts that will house small mammals and possibly some small birds preparing for release.
Roanoke Wildlife Rescue has indeed been blessed through the hard work and
dedication of these fine young men. We wish them every success in the future.
Dealing With Issues –
And Planning For the Future
Allow me to clear up some misunderstandings and get the record straight.
Our State Permit is in place which allows us to provide foster care and medical support to Virginia wildlife (mammals). Our Federal Permit, which encompasses all birds of prey as well as migratory birds, was not renewed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Therefore, we are not able to offer any assistance in that area at this time. Our goal is (and always has been) to be a full service facility for wildlife. However, we are going through a "re-design" of our facility which now includes a licensed Veterinary Facility for Wildlife. Veterinary services are available at no charge to anyone who requires assistance with wild indigenous mammals, reptiles or amphibians. This offer certainly applies to all members of the rehabilitation community as well. Our veterinary status is here to help everyone - not just Roanoke Wildlife Rescue.
USDA Sets New Standards
Our recent inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture presented us with some new criteria that has launched our first Capital Fund Raising Campaign. Due to the close proximity of the sub- development across the street, we are required to install 6' chain link around the perimeter of our outside caging area. We are looking at a venture totaling $9,500 [estimate] and we only have six months to get our fencing in place.
USDA is the agency that allows us to do educational programming with approved wild, non-releasable animals. The purpose of this new guideline is to provide for the safety of the animals in our care – including those to be released. Our animals will be sheltered from neighborhood pets and curious people - neither of which are supposed to have access to the animal care areas.
We are seriously seeking CORPORATE SPONSORS; DONATIONS OF FENCE; & BENEFACTORS,. This is yet another part of our growth and development. The value of animals in education is so important.
WON’T YOU HELP?
Now you can make a donation with VISA or Mastercard by clicking the PayPal logo above. Thank you very much!
Giving Wildlife A Second Chance!"
5931 Cotton Hill Road
Roanoke, VA 24018-5268
540/989-3798