We made the list as one of the TOP 10 Local grassroots nonprofits helping animals on HuffingtonPost today!
Please visit and cast your vote for Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/yggdrasil-urban-wildlife-rescue-center
Thank you!!
We had an excellent event today. Our presentation at the Crab Cove Visitor Center all about Raccoons took place this morning at 10am. Here is a photo retelling of this very fun event:
We arrived at the Crab Cove Visitor Center to see this wonderful sign announcing the day’s event, as well as a poster about it hanging in the message box. The Visitor Center lecture room had many interested boys and girls all set to learn about raccoons!
Megan was there with PoPo the Raccoon, to answer questions and meet the kids. Constance was going to make the presentation about Wonderful Raccoons.
Despite a couple of technical glitches, Constance did a great job presenting to the audience! We learned all about Herbivores, Carnivores and Omnivores, how raccoons climb up and down trees, and much much more, complete with demonstration and examples! PoPo and Megan also did a great job making the rounds, asking kids questions and getting to know them.
After the lecture, we all went outside for Raccoon-oriented Arts & Crafts! There were raccoon pictures to color, footprint stamps to press, and really cool bookmarks to take home as souvenirs!
Here are the two Cutest Pictures of the Day:
Great Job to Constance Taylor for her excellent presentation to the crowd of little ones!
Great job to Megan Isadore for organizing and coordinating this event!
Thank you to the Crab Cove Visitor Center. We look forward to many more child and adult oriented educational lectures with you in the future.
(special thank you to PoPo for taking time out of his busy springtime schedule to attend and talk about himself. Thanks PoPo!)
Please join us at Crab Cove on Saturday, March 3 for a fun presentation on raccoons. Great for the 4 years old and up crowd! 10-11AM, CRAB COVE VISITOR CENTER & AQUARIUM, 1252 McKay Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501 Phone: (510) 544-3187 e-mail: ccove@ebparks.org We’ll have lots of pictures, video, stories of our lovely wild raccoons, and a fun project for the little kids.
Recently Fresh & Easy Market donated a truckload of Pumpkins to us for our squirrel patients to enjoy.
Thank you Fresh & Easy! Although it is getting close to release time for this Autumn’s orphaned squirrels, they all appreciate the exciting stimulus of a good pumpkin. They like to chew a squirrel-sized hole in the top, climb inside, and eat the seeds!
As the wildlife baby season comes to an end, our work switches focus to the everyday problems that come up with Wildlife trying to survive in our Urban world.
For example, yesterday we got a call from a kind woman who had taken her children to a local playground.
Trapped in a garbage can at the playground was an adult skunk, and because of the design of the metal locked garbage can, there was no way to tip the can to let it out.
The skunk was attracted to the smell of food in the can’s liner and climbed in, but was unable to climb out again due to the smooth sides of the plastic liner.
One of the moms at the playground had the presence of mind to call our wildlife center to ask for help for the skunk.
We were able to come out with a public works employee and unlock the can.
We removed the plastic liner that the skunk was trapped in, carried it to a bushy area and set it on it’s side.
The skunk, who had probably been in the can at least 1 day, shot out into the bushes and happily disappeared.
Skunks are extremely nearsighted and can only see about 15″ ahead of them. If you see a skunk coming your way, make noise so the skunk knows you are there. The skunk will NOT spray unless they fear for their lives or are startled. If you let the skunk know you are there, the skunk will avoid you and you will avoid startling the skunk and possibly getting sprayed.
Remember Mythbusters proved that the only way to remove the odor of Skunk is to neutralize the chemical reaction by using the following recipe:
1 quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1 teaspoon liquid soap or dish detergent
So if you, your dog, or your house gets sprayed, use this formula to neutralize the smell. And if you get a chance to watch Mythbuster’s Skunk Defunct, it’s pretty fun.
As you may have heard, Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Center (YUWR) has been going through some significant changes lately, and as a result we are currently not taking animals at the main office on Sherwood Drive. We are very much still open and doing the work our community so badly needs, but we have had to temporarily let go of our wildlife hospital until some problems are resolved.
However, thanks to our extensive network of dedicated, trained volunteers, we are actively involved in rehabilitation of orphaned baby wildlife. humane wildlife exclusion through Good Riddance! (www.goodriddancewildlife.com), and we are still available for educational workshops and events concerning urban wildlife natural history and wildlife exclusion.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate all the changes that have come our way.
Best,
YUWR
On Friday, March 18th, a woman found an orphaned opossum on the Oakland streets. She didn’t know where to take the opossum so she cuddled her up in her scarf and kept her in a warm shoebox all night. The next morning she was watching the ABC News and saw this article about our wildlife center and brought this little one to us! She saved a life when she brought the baby off the street. ABC News helped save a life when they instructed her where to bring this baby. Thank you to both ABC News and to this finder of this sweet little one. Good work!
All of our Spring Babies and Winter Refugees are doing great! Here is a brief update on some of them:
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“Miracle Squirrel Boy” was found by Brenda, an Oakland resident, on the side of the road with blood pouring out his ear, unconscious. When Brenda realized he was still alive she rushed him to the Montclair Vet Hospital, where he was examined and transferred into care with us with low hopes of recovery. For the first 2 days he was comatose. We thought the worst would come. But after 2 days he surprised us all by suddenly sitting up and drinking a bunch of water. Soon he was on the road to total recovery; eating well, able to balance, jump, climb, open nuts, etc. For the last 2 weeks he has been in an outdoor cage. He has made it very clear that he is ready and able to go back out into the wild to enjoy his second chance at a normal life. He had no lasting injuries or handicaps from his accident. Miracle Boy was released on March 13th 2011. He has been seen every day since, jumping through the trees or returning to his nestbox for a nut.
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Last week we got in our first fledgling hummingbird. Around this time of year the babies start to test their wings and launch themselves out from their nests. Mama is very watchful and she tracks where her babies land so she can continue to come and feed them, even when they fall into the middle of the sidewalk! This little one fell into the wrong place and was at risk of being eaten by passing dogs, so she was brought into care with us and has been doing great! Yesterday she was moved into a small flight cage where she can learn to hover and eat, and catch fruit flies. Her tail feathers are still pinned but once they grow out, she will go into a larger flight cage with flowering plants, then be released back into the wild, to buzz and flash her delightful iridescent colors through the air.
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Valentine is enjoying a larger outdoor pen these days. She is still recovering from injuries she received when she was hit by a car on Valentine’s day. We hope within a month she will be substantually better and can be returned to her home territory.
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Baby Squirrel who came in on March 1st, 2011, is out in foster care with another baby squirrel his age, and doing well. I will post pictures when I have them.
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The Baby Opossum who came in on March 1st 2011, from the Oakland Animal Services is growing and doing well! Picture coming soon
Today Valentine was moved into a big outdoor pen at Rancho Raccoon, home of our wonderful Raccoon Team, where she will continue to receive dedicated medical care to recover from her injuries. She is settling in to her luxury condo complete with swimming pool and many trees. She will stay here until she has fully recovered from injuries she received on Valentine’s day 2011 when she was struck by a car.
Volunteers Cindy and Lila carry Valentine to her transport vehicle.
Valentine explores her new recovery enclosure
