Natgeotravel

Last year our buddy Fitz needed emergency surgery for a broken arm. Thanks to some incredible donors, he is fully recovered and looking forward to a better 2021. Here he is trying to sniff out extra treats. 

This owl prefers to live in the ground rather than up in a tree. So for security purposes, he tricks his neighbors into thinking he’s a rattlesnake! 

Our Great Blue Heron was doing some feather cleaning this morning. Look at how long that neck is! The long neck and beak of the Heron was adapted to fishing for prey. This tall birds are excellent at wading through the water and make quite an impressive sight in flight. 

“ Great Blue Herons aren’t likely to visit a typical backyard. However, they are sometimes unwelcome visitors to yards that include fish ponds. A length of drain pipe placed in the pond can provide fish with a place to hide from feeding herons. Herons, like most of our birds, are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.” -The Cornell Lab https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/overview

Report from a Wildlife Rehabber: 

On February 19 a female opossum was caught in a car engine. The auto repair shop that found her called the Coral Springs Humane Unit to come help. After a long struggle, they were able to remove her. She suffered from several facial lacerations and was very thin. 

Since we have a developed community partnership, they brought her to us at the Sawgrass Nature Center. Once in our care, she was treated for the facial wounds, parasites, and her weight was monitored. She healed well, but the weight gain was slow moving. Eventually, she recovered to what would be considered a healthy weight. Only one thing was left - release. 

After almost a month in care, on March 13, the female opossum was released back to the wild. Now back out in the wild, she can continue to live out her life in her natural habitat. 

Alligator chomping on World Animal Day

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There isn’t a slow season for Nature Centers and Wildlife Hospitals. There is only busy and busier season. Raccoons, squirrels, and opossums are some of the native wildlife in Florida that are most affected by growth in human population and urban expansion. Every time a new building goes up, their homes are disrupted. Every time a new highway is opened, they are the ones that sustain the most injuries. In a normal day, we see a lot of injuries. During baby season, we get many more abandoned babies. 

Injured, sick, or abandoned raccoons legally require the care of a wildlife professional. So if you see one, it is not in their best interest to be raised in your home. The best option is to bring them to a local Wildlife Hospital and Nature Center. 

If you want to learn more about how the SNC takes care of the native wildlife that gets brought to us, or donate to help us keep up with costs of animal care, check out our website here: https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/

Molly, the Loggerhead Musk Turtle

These beautiful works of art are made from discarded flip-flops

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