GREEN BAY, Wis. — Thanks to a mild winter, warmer weather arrived a bit earlier than expected. This means an earlier mating season for Wisconsin’s wildlife.
Staff at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay said they’re noticing a big jump in injured or orphaned animals. They shared advice about handling these animals.
Lori Bankson is the curator at the refuge. She’s worked there for the past 12 years. Bankson said her love for injured animals started when she was a child.
“I grew up on a farm in Pulaski. We had a lot of acreage and woods and my sister and I were notorious for going out and just going hiking and finding animals that needed help.”
This is why May and June are Bankson’s favorite months of the year.
She said it’s during this time the wildlife refuge notices an increase in injured or orphaned animals needing help.
“In the past week, we’ve admitted over 200 animals here to our baby program. That’s not normal,” Bankson said. “That’s really high. That’s very high for us.”
Bankson said the weather is a big reason. Wisconsin had a relatively mild winter. She said this warmer weather led wildlife to start mating earlier and now these young families are out and about.
“A lot of the animals are driven by how much snow there is on the ground, the temperature in the air and just how long daylight is. So we’re actually on our second wave of cottontails along with grey squirrels. We’ve also been seeing the start of raccoons and fox squirrels. We’ve been seeing goslings and ducklings that were separated or had a leg injury. Now we’re starting to see songbirds that have been blown from the nest,” Bankson said.
Providing care to animals in need is a natural fit for seven-year volunteer Nancy Wentworth. She’s a retired nurse.
“I worked basically in neurosurgery and then later on, my final years in the hospitals, I worked in labor and delivery,” Wentworth said.
She said the most satisfying feeling is caring for helpless animals, rehabbing them and then sending them back into the wild.
“I rescued a redtail hawk a couple of years ago on the Allouez Bridge and was able to help rehab him here and then my husband and I were able to release him. So that was, that was huge. That’s a real memory for us,” Wentworth said.
Even though Bankson has rehabbed thousands of animals, she said each rescue holds a special place in her heart.
“If we can make that difference of letting that animal be free, again, it really just… fills the soul,” Bankson said.
Bankson had some advice for if you find an injured or orphaned animal.
“With the cottontail bunnies, mom only comes at sunrise and sunset. Squirrels sometimes just have to be helped up back into the tree. Songbirds, if they fall out of the nest, they don’t have a sense of smell and can be put right back into the nest. Our staff here is specially trained, we can talk you through that, we can give you helpful hints. If you’re unsure, you’re always welcome to bring that animal here and we can help you,” Bankson said.