Beacon of light wildlife centre

Beacon of Light Wildlife Centre 953 Concession 2 Nanticoke, Ontario N0A 1L0 905-776-5510 email: beaconwildlife@execulink.com caring for orphaned and injured wildlife. visit our online store at http://www.cafepress.com/beaconwildlife

Well, baby season is here, we now have baby squirrels and raccoons in our care. We here at the Centre are trying to get ready for the huge amount of orphans that come thru our doors in the spring and summer months.. If anyone is interested in volunteering in any areas such as driving, fund raising, fostering or volunteering here please email us with any qualifications you may have in the area of interest and let us know if you are willing to participate in training. You must be over the age of 18 to handle animals. if anyone has any fund raising ideas, we would like to hear about them, please feel free to email me (Debbie) at beaconwildlife@hotmail.com Due to taking wildlife directly from the SPCA's and Animal Controls in 2007, we have seen a huge decline in the amount of donations we usually get from the public bringing in the animals. If you can help us out please hit the donate now button on this page, or mail us, any donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt. So please include your name and address if you want one mailed to you. Another way you can help is with Canadian Tire money, there are alot of supplies we can buy at Canadian Tire. We hope you will think of helping our wildlife in need, and I know the animals and birds thank you. They deserve a second chance. Most injuries of the wildlife brought in are due to humans, it's nice to know there are other humans out there that care, because without the compassion of the rare few we would not be able to care for all of the animals brought to us. We cover a large area of Ontario, the number of animals brought in to us from our immediate area are small. most wildlife come in from Cities and Towns such as Hamilton, Oakville, Niagara falls, Missisauga, Simcoe, Toronto etc... without the support of these communities we will not be able to continue covering these areas. we are always in need of towels, blankets, baby bottles, etc...

Beacon of Light Wildlife Centre charitable # 814082079RR0001

Update:  A new message board has been created, to post questions or just talk and share pictures and stories, please visit    http://groups.msn.com/BeaconoflightWildlifetalk-/_whatsnew.msnw  (click on link) 

Beacon of Light Wildlife Centre is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of our native wildlife. We are located in Nanticoke, about half an hour south of Hamilton. Our on site wildlife custodian Debbie Beacon holds authorizations with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Canadian Wildlife Services, and is also a member of Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation Education Network and International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.

We are run soley on donations, Remember; Every little bit helps, When we open our mail and find $5.00 in there, we are jumping for joy, that small amount can feed an owl for 2 days, or be put to something else we need.  Every penny goes to good use, so please think about helping our Native Wildlife.  We are in need of monetary donations at this time, the expense of caring for all the animals is enormous, and we are hoping to be able to expand our facilities for 2007 to be able to accomodate more animals that need our assistance. If you can help please make cheques payable to: Beacon of Light Wildlife centre. and mail to 953 Concession 2, Nanticoke, Ontario, N0A 1L0.  We will send you a tax receipt.  We thank you in advance for caring and helping.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND>>>>>>>>>

This year our big concern is deer fawns, We have had  alot brought in that were not truly orphaned.  Female deer (does) leave their fawns alone on purpose.  It is in the best interest of the mother and fawn if the fawn remains well hidden between feedings because the baby is well camouflaged and has very little odor to attract predators.  Even at a very young age, the mom may only return to feed the baby every 8 hours.  If there are humans nearby it is very unlikely you will see the deer and the fawn together.  Obviously there are sure signs the fawn needs help, if the mom is dead nearby, or if it is wandering around crying and bleating like a goat or sheep. This either could mean it is hungry or might be seperated from mom.   If the fawn is laying quietly curled up on the ground it is probably fine, the best thing to do is leave it and check the spot 24 hours later.  Remember the best place for a healthy baby to be is with it's mother. 

Some animals can be reunited with their mothers, If you find a baby bird try to locate the nest it fell out of if it is reachable put the baby back into the nest, if it is feathered it may be a fledgling learning to fly, watch to see if mom is visiting the baby and feeding it.  Remember fledgling birds are LEARNING to fly, they will hop around on the ground and fly small distances, the parents will still feed the baby while it is learning it's skills.  Please make sure the bird needs assisstance beore intervening.

squirrels can also be reunited with mom, if they have fallen out of a nest you can place it in a small box with a heated object like a water bottle filled with hot water and placed into a sock to keep it warm while you watch from a distance to see if mom comes to fetch the baby, the same goes for raccoon babies.  If you have a mother and a nest you need moved, (ie in your attic, garage etc..)please call a rehabilitator there are lots of ways to make mom move her babies without having to seperate them.

If you find a bunny nest and mom is not in sight, this is also normal as mom usually only visits the nest at dawn and dusk to feed her babies, you can place 2 twigs in a cross on top of the nest and see if they have been disturbed by mom when she returns, or you can place flour around the nest and check for bunny prints in the morning.  If the bunnies are out of the nest they may be hungry and looking for mom, but if they are cosy in the nest there is probably nothing to worry about.

If you find a baby oppossum they usually always need help as mom will not return to retrieve their babies.

Unless the baby is injured always call a rehabilitator to find out what exactly to do before taking any action.

you can visit www.owren-online.org if you need help finding a rehabilitator in your area. or call your local office of the Ministry of Natural Resources found in your blue pages of the phone book. 

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THANKS FOR CARING AND HELPING.

 

Wildlife Rehabilitation Crisis in Ontario? This is an article from the OWREN Newsletter, which I whole heartedly agree with, please read.

Blaring headlines on websites, petitions, various electronic mailing lists, and discussion groups all shout that there is a wildlife rehabilitation crisis in Ontario. What crisis? 

There is not, and never has been, a wildlife rehabilitation crisis in Ontario. These insufferable bulletins, emails, press releases and petitions that periodically make their way to the surface are akin to an abscess in a wild animal’s body. Beneath the skin it sits and festers and eventually, if there is no treatment applied, the abscess erupts. It’s messy, it’s putrid, and it stinks. Perhaps it is time to treat this abscess with a therapeutic dose of the truth before it bursts again.

There have been many different sources for this distribution of misinformation. One of the newer groups tries to tug at the heart by creatively using the words ‘baby’ and ‘wildlife’. Regardless of what names these groups give themselves, most imply that they represent the rehabilitators of Ontario. Commentary from them reads as if they were a union representing dues-paying union members who agreed to give up their own voices.  

The claims made in these inflammatory articles are hardly ever substantiated and until recently, seldom challenged. What appears to the uninformed public as factual is often no more than innuendo using skillfully chosen words taken out of context. Sensationalism does the trick and is often used to suit their needs.

And what about the public? Therein lies the problem. The public may only know what they are told or what they read and see, particularly if it’s a subject they are not familiar with—if it said so on the Internet or in the newspaper, it must therefore be true. So, if all the public hears and reads is that the sky is falling, pretty soon you’ll see them walking around with umbrellas shielding their heads, eyes furtively cast skyward because they are convinced that the sky IS falling. Others will be in an outrage because, good grief, the sky is falling- and the government isn’t doing anything about it.

It is time to better inform the public and help them understand that wildlife rehabilitation and all that goes with it, is not in a state of crisis.

The issue that appears to be at the crux of these protestations is the demand for the reinstatement of humane and responsible wildlife rehabilitation. They go further to say that the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) regulations₁ deny humane care for wildlife and are responsible for having eliminated the majority of wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario. In order to reinstate something, it would first have to have been removed. As we all know, responsible wildlife rehabilitation has not been banned nor removed from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, so it’s anyone’s guess precisely what is in need of being reinstated. 

Some of these comments are insulting to those who have continued to provide rehabilitation services for native wildlife because the claims imply that the work we all do for native wildlife, is inhumane and irresponsible. The MNR regulations and practices₂ mentioned here do not deny care humane care for wildlife, nor have they eliminated the majority of wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario. 

It is equally mystifying to read that hundreds of wildlife rehabilitators across the province surrendered their authorizations in protest or were eliminated. Hundreds? Omigosh! That’s news to all of the authorized wildlife custodians and their hundreds of registered foster care givers and volunteers. Statistically, the number of authorized wildlife custodians in Ontario has remained relatively stable over the years. That is not hyped-up theory.

A sad fact is that there will likely never be a sufficient number of authorized wildlife custodians in Ontario. The primary reason for this is the cost of rehabilitation. Either we pay out of pocket for our expenses, or if part of a larger group, focus a good deal of our resources and energy on fundraising to meet those needs. Time and space are two other deterrents to rehabilitation.

A large part of our work as professional and ethical custodians entails making decisions to euthanize. We know of no single facility anywhere in Ontario (or North America for that matter) that has unlimited capacity, housing, supplies and funding for wildlife rehabilitation. As unpleasant as it can be, decisions to not accept more animals into care, or to euthanize rather than risk substandard care are not easy ones to make. These types of decisions were also made in the past by some of those who are no longer in the profession. When those centres or facilities filled up, they also closed to new intakes and directed people to take the animals to the nearest humane society or animal control facility for humane euthanasia. We don’t fault those who have to make such choices, because we all have to make them. The problem is how quickly some forget that they were also required to do so by the limitations that affect us all.

When the profession of wildlife rehabilitation was legally recognized in the new Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, it essentially grandfathered in everyone who was engaged in the (then illegal) practice of wildlife rehabilitation. It didn’t matter what type of care you provided, what knowledge you possessed, or what, if any, training you may have had. As long as you registered with MNR in that first year, you received an authorization. 

Conditions of operation for authorizations followed when numerous well known and experienced groups, who had operated for years providing free services for sick, injured, or orphaned native wildlife, and others who provided educational opportunities for wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario collectively worked to raise the bar and helped to implement better standards of care for wildlife. Those who now seemingly stand on the sidelines and complain were also invited to be part of the process. 

In those early days as well as today, conscientious wildlife rehabilitators and wildlife centres maintained an open door policy with the MNR to continue to implement best practices in wildlife rehabilitation. When the arbitrary and unreasonable 1 km from point of origin release restrictions were in place, there was unanimous opposition to that specific condition, from all authorized wildlife custodians. At that time, we all called for a release standard similar to that of the NWRA/IWRC Minimum Standards, as did those who are currently protesting the regulations. The result? Release distance conditions now meet universally accepted NWRA/IWRC Minimum Standards. It appears that regardless of what conditions or regulations are in place, a pocket of individuals will continue to object to them.

Another gross misconception being touted as the truth is that single orphans cannot be combined and rehabilitated with other single orphans. It is important for wildlife to be raised with conspecifics and the current conditions do indeed permit that. If two single orphans originate within separate 15 km circumferences and the two areas intersect, these two single orphans can indeed be raised together and released together within that intersected area. 

All too often, we hear from the protesters that where orphans were found is not ‘suitable’ habitat for their release. It stands to reason that if their mothers were able to find suitable habitat, food and breeding partners, and managed to give birth, that a 15 km distance from their origin has more than sufficient space and resources to support the offspring. No one advocates returning an orphan to the middle of a busy street when it is ready for release, but within that 15 km radius, suitable habitat can be found. We have to refrain from imposing our will on nature. Wild animals have learned to adapt, and we too must do so.

Attempting to work together to resolve differences and to discuss best practices does not necessarily mean that everyone is in total blind agreement with each other or with the MNR every step of the way. We can be equally certain that the MNR does not necessarily agree with us every step of the way either. For example, many authorized wildlife custodians were outraged when Premier Dalton McGuinty used a human-habituated whitetail deer as part of his re-election campaign to appear as a ‘good guy.’ The Premier personally delivered the deer, complete with photo op, to the people who illegally had it in their possession and created this aberration of nature. He returned the deer to them so they could keep it as a pet and continue to feed it cheese curds.

It’s apparent we have a Premier who has no real concept of what wildlife rehabilitation encompasses and believes it is perfectly acceptable for the public to possess wild animals as pets. That’s quite the message he delivered to the public—just play dumb and we’ll let you keep whatever you want as a pet. Wildlife custodians know that wild animals belong in the wild and should not be kept as pets Should a wildlife custodian go to the MNR and say ‘Ooops, I accidentally habituated  this wild animal to me, I guess I just didn’t know any better so can I get a permit to keep it?’ The answer would unequivocally be – no! 

Unknowingly, some of you may pass on these misleading bulletins and petitions to friends and colleagues, much like electronic SPAM in email chain letters. You may not realize that what you read and are passing on, may be distorted. We encourage you to remain objective and first verify the information if you are unsure. If you have questions or concerns about conditions or regulations, use your own voice to express them to the MNR. That option has always been available to you. 

When you see or have been sent something that you personally know is not accurate; use your own voice and do not be afraid to speak up. If you read that the work you do is being called inhumane and irresponsible, let them know in your own opinion that this is false. Our work and profession includes educating the public about wildlife, and we should correct any misinformation. By all means, take every opportunity available to you and let the folks you interact with daily, know that the majority of wildlife custodians and centres do not receive government funding, and depend on compassionate donations from the public. These are facts that the public needs to realize and accept. 

One thing we know for sure—each of you, the 100 plus authorized wildlife custodians and your 100’s of volunteers and registered foster care givers who continue to do an exemplary, humane, responsible, professional, and outstanding job for native wildlife in Ontario, make an invaluable contribution, and deserve kudos and respect for your work. 

We honour each of you and wish you a very successful rehab season in 2008!   

OWREN Board of Directors

©2008 Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Network

Published in the OWREN Network News newsletter

©January 2008.  Issue 32

www.owren-online.org

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