Wildlife Is Suffering

A screech owl sat on a perch mending a fractured wing at the New England Wildlife Center. Photo: John Tlumacki 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, this winter has been extremely difficult for wildlife, and another six inches of snow is due tonight.

A recent article in the Boston Globe, Animal Shelters See Large Numbers of Suffering Wildlife by Bella English, confirmed some of my worst fears. The Eastern screech owl pictured here was brought in by a family who noticed that it was up to its neck in snow. 

“His body was frozen. We put him in ICU in an oxygen tank, and on top of a heating pad,” said New England Wildlife Center Executive Director Katrina Bergman. Treated for hypothermia, malnutrition, and a broken wing, he is doing well."

It may not seem like much, but providing a steady supply of bird seed and reporting any injured animals you may come across to your local animal control officer will help wildlife enormously. In the meantime, hurry Spring.