The hospital received 31 animals last week, bringing the total for this year to 5072. One of the patients was a golden-crowned sparrow brought to us because its foot was stuck in a rat trap. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this sparrow because of the severity of its injuries. Snap traps are a good way to control rats,…
The hospital received 51 animals last week, bringing the total for this year to 4934. One of the patients was a southern alligator lizard that was found stuck on a glue trap meant for rodents. Fortunately, we were able to remove the lizard from the trap safely and return it to the wild. Sticky traps are never appropriate to use…
The hospital received 48 animals last week, bringing the total for this year to 4820. One of the patients was a pallid bat brought to us because it had been found tangled in Halloween-decoration spider web. The bat was thoroughly tangled in the cottony material–it was wrapped around its right wing and both feet. He even had it in his…
The hospital received 224 animals last week, bringing the total to 3325 for this year. Five of the patients were young white-throated swifts. Swifts spend most of their day aloft, feeding on insects in midair. They commonly nest in cliff crevasses, and under overpasses and other structures in our area. If they land on the ground, they are unable to…
The hospital received 120 animals last week, bringing the total for this year to 657. Spring is really here. In one week, the number of animals brought to us increased by over 40%. We are still seeing too many animals caught by cats–it is especially important from now through the end of nesting season (September) to keep cats indoors.
The hospital received 62 animals last week, bringing the total to 404 for this year. Ten of the patients were baby opossums that were found still attached to the nipples of their dead mother. The whole lot was brought to the hospital where the staff carefully removed the babies. Nine of the babies have survived so far. If you find…
Barn owl caught in netting In mid-April two Contra Costa County agencies worked together, to save a barn owl that was in serious trouble. On April 14 a call came into Contra Costa Animal Services about a barn owl caught in fishing line and hanging from a tree. An animal control officer immediately went out to the scene. The officer…
In early June a couple walking their dog found an adult peregrine falcon on the ground near Laguna Avenue and Alida Street in Oakland. They caught the bird and brought it to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s wildlife hospital. Upon its initial exam it was found that the bird was in good body condition but that it had suffered a fractured…
An adult osprey was admitted to the wildlife hospital on May 20. It was found at Los Vaqueros Reservoir, entangled in fishing line, unable to fly. Hospital staff removed the line and veterinarian Dr. Purdin did a thorough exam. Fortunately, there were no injuries. After a night of recovery in a large aviary, it was returned to the reservoir on May…
The wildlife hospital has admitted many fledgling birds this week. A fledgling is a young bird that has left the nest. Fledglings have feathers but do not fly well, if at all, but can usually hop or jump to low branches. This period of being on the ground is a normal and necessary part of a bird developing the ability to…