With all the stories this week about small creatures taking up residence in human households, consider opening your property to injured or orphaned Orcas Island wildlife that need a safe place to re-enter their own natural surroundings.
Shona Aitken, of Wolf Hollow Wildlife, wrote in that organization’s newsletter:
When the injured and orphaned wild animals we care for are ready to go back into the wild, we have to find suitable places to release them. For adult animals, which probably have a territory and/or a mate, we try to get them back as close as possible to the place they were picked up. But, sometimes we don’t know exactly where they came from. Someone may have dropped them off at a vet clinic or animal shelter without leaving detailed information about where they were found.
For baby animals, which would be moving away from their parent’s territory once they were grown, it is not essential that we return them to exactly the same spot. We like to return them to the same general area, but need to find suitable habitat nearby where they will have the best chance of surviving. As our local area becomes more developed, it is becoming harder and harder to find good release sites, especially for larger birds and mammals that need more space.
This is where you can help! If you live in San Juan or Skagit Counties and have property including natural habitat, where you would be willing to have animals released, we would be delighted to discuss this with you. A few families or individuals have already offered their property, but we would like to add several more key sites. Our staff or volunteers would visit your site and discuss with you which species it would be suitable for, and which species you would be wiling to have released there.
If you would like to offer your property as a release site, or have any questions, please call Shona at 360-378-5000, or send email to saitken@wolfhollowwildlife.org.
