Sunday the netting on the eagle enclosure couldn’t hold any longer. The entire east half, 30′x100′, collapsed.  The utility poles snapped at the ground.  The ceiling and sides are now iced to the ground. Luckily the bald eagle that has been living there was not injured. 

She has been moved to a temporary enclosure.

Several of the small enclosures have also given way under the weight of the ice and snow on the netting. The small beaver enclosures now only has a small opening to squirm through to get to the lodge. Luckily the little beaver was snuggled safely in his lodge. This enclosure will need to be rebuilt but for now we have to find a way to get under the iced netting to the lodge.

The Gussy Waterfowl habitat is struggling to hold up. The 12′ tall ceiling is only a few feet from the ground. We worry that at any time this also will collapse. 

The cedar trees along the paths that connect all the enclosures are iced to the ground.  We can’t carry food and supplies with the golf cart. We are having to crawl carrying buckets of food and water.

Yes, there are moments of shear beauty, ice crystals on the cedar branches, deer leaping through the trees where paths were, but the daily care for 400 wild animals still must be accomplished. 

WildCare is still up and accepting injured wildlife. A barred owl was just hit by a car, a cardinal was just caught by a cat, all can’t wait until we rebuild. But with the burden of fundraising to have the supplies to rebuild plus the daunting task of figuring out how to rebuild adds to the days tasks at hand.

Like all of the 4,191 animals that arrived at WildCare last year, each one was a little down, injured, and needing care. WildCare is now a little down, injured and needing care. And like each of these animals WildCare will struggle, stretch, and recover. Please help rehabilitate WildCare’s rehabilitation facility. The animals need these space to grow strong enough so they can return to the wild. Thank you for caring about wildlife!