Adult squirrels are the worst.
They tend to get a bit nutty in close quarters, says Colleen Bumba, a volunteer at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, the home of Cuyahoga County’s only wildlife rehabilitation facility.
“They’re aggressive adult squirrels, they’re fast and they bite a lot,” Bumba says. She should know. The retired veterinarian has been a volunteer at the center since 2015, treating songbirds, turtles, rabbits and other creatures brought in by tender-hearted animal lovers.
The Bay Village center offers wildlife education and programs year ’round, but it’s probably best known for its assortment of birds and other mammals on display behind the sprawling facility. The animals have recovered from their injuries but are unable to survive in the wild. Instead, they help educate the public and give visitors an up-close look at creatures usually only seen in quick glimpses.
The center handles many hundreds of animals annually, ranging from stressed-out rescued baby bunnies to turtles with cracked carapaces.
Spring is prime season for the center. Pets uncover rabbit nests, baby birds and squirrels tumble out of nests, birds run into windows, amphibians encounter cars. The intersection of wildlife and humans often ends disastrously, with the animals coming up on the short end.
The staff has swim tanks for waterfowl rehab and covered cages for flying squirrels and birds that need a quiet place to recuperate.
Bumba enjoys the work and says her experience as a veterinarian gives her a chance to serve her community and the animals that live there. Every wildlife encounter is different.
When people find baby animals they assume they’re abandoned, but that’s rarely true, Bumba says. “Mom may have been scared away. Deer and rabbits only come back periodically (to their babies) so they don’t attract predators. A lot of times, the best, the highest survival rate is to be with their mother. If in doubt, call and we’ll give special advice.”
Marie Elium rescues turtles on roads and chases neighborhood cats from bird nests in her yard.
It’s Springtime, Baby
Help Nature by Leaving it Alone (Most of the Time)
Bunnies, fledglings, baby squirrels, fawns. When spring arrives, so do calls about “abandoned” baby animals. Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is the only wildlife rehabilitation facility in Cuyahoga County, treating more than 1,400 animals and 100 species annually.
Here’s their advice about what to do if you find an injured or a baby animal:
Injured animal?
Don’t risk your own safety to help wildlife. If you can safely capture it, place it in an escape-proof box (with air holes) not much bigger than the animal. Do not offer food or water. Place the box in a dark, quiet location until it can be transported to the center.
Baby bunnies in the yard?
Don’t move them because then the mother won’t be able to find them. She’ll return at dusk and dawn to care for them.
Baby bird that can’t fly?
A baby bird with skin visible and only covered in downy feathers should be placed back in the nest or in an artificial nest. If fully feathered, the bird is a fledgling that should be left alone.
Baby squirrel fell from a tree?
Don’t feed it. Squirrels often have more than one nest. The parent can retrieve and move their babies if they end up out of the nest too soon.
A fawn alone?
Baby wildlife is rarely abandoned. A fawn with no mother in sight is normal, and deer do this to protect their young. An adult can attract predators. The mother will come back to retrieve the fawn later.
Source:
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center
28728 Wolf Road
Bay Village
lensc.org
440-471-8357
Hours: Daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
To help an injured or ill animal, call the wildlife staff before intervening.
