Toronto Wildlife Centre
FALL 2016
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure Your support helped save an osprey trapped in a smoke stack Getting festive with wildlife! A home run blue jay release TWC Rescue team are Toronto Stars! Wild Ball was a blast for all New tribute cards just in time for the holidays!
Message from the executive director Dear Friends, As always, fall is a busy time at Toronto Wildlife Centre as we respond to the flurry of activity in the wildlife world. Wild animals are fattening up for the winter, looking for good den sites, and getting ready to hibernate. Many birds and some bats are flying south for the winter. And wild youngsters of all species are trying life on their own; away from the support and protection of their parents. Recent admissions include squirrels and opossums, golden-crowned kinglets, a silver-haired bat, house and Lincoln’s sparrows, rock pigeons, garter and brown snakes, a mute swan, a red fox, a hermit thrush, a mourning dove, a brown creeper, an American woodcock, a blue jay and a wood duck – all injured and all admitted just in the last couple of days! They join the several hundred other wild patients at TWC all receiving compassionate care as we work to help them recover and return to the wild. This place bustles with activity every day of the week as staff and volunteers prepare a wide variety of meals, scrub down cages, fill up pools for birds who need to swim and dive, x-rays are taken and difficult surgeries are carried out, and senior rehabilitators quietly watch patients walk, run or fly, noting their progress on their individual medical charts. We’re only able to provide all this help for so many animals in need with your support – thank you so much! Have a beautiful, safe and happy holiday season,
Nathalie Karvonen
Cover photo: Scott Wight
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure
Its hard to tell, but there’s a third baby opossum hidden underneath his two brothers.
These three Virgina opossum siblings surprised Sharlene, a Markham resident, on September 29th when she found them nuzzling together inside her recycling bin. She kindly made sure they were warm and comfortable and promptly called Toronto Wildlife Centre. FUN FACT: About the size of a honey bee when born, Virginia opossums are North America’s smallest baby mammal. Thanks to your donations, these three orphaned opossums are getting the nutritious food and specialized care that they need until they are old enough to be released back into the wild.
URGENT NEED FOR RABIES VACCINATED VOLUNTEERS Most people don’t normally get rabies vaccines. Typically people who work with animals or travel to countries where rabies is common, are most often vaccinated. If you are one of those people and are interested in helping care for animals, please visit our website at www.torontowildlifecentre.com and submit a volunteer application. If you have any questions, contact Rissa, our volunteer coordinator at volunteers@torontowildlifecentre.com or call 416-631-0662 ext 3211.
No ordinary osprey rescue Your support helped save an osprey trapped in a smoke stack No one knew exactly how the osprey ended up at the bottom of a 10 story high smokestack, but somehow the bird had fallen in. “There is an opening at the base but the bird is too big to get out. It’s still alive and trying to get out but it seems weak. I have no idea how long it’s been in there. We are trying to save this (bird)’s life. Can someone help us?” said Gem when she called Toronto Wildlife Centre`s Hotline recently. TWC’s rescue team member`s Sarrah and Stacey were dispatched.
The osprey appeared unharmed from a distance, but is definitely trapped. Ospreys can have large wingspans of nearly two metres, making it difficult to fly out of tight spaces.
There was access to the chimney through a small door located at the base of the stack. Stacey cracked open the door and skillfully contained the osprey. She carefully covered the large bird with a sheet and scooped him up.
Once out of the chimney Stacey and Sarrah gave the bird a quick examination. He had some feather damage and appeared weak, so they brought him back to the centre for a more thorough medical check. A closer examination and blood work were done to rule out lead poisoning, and help the medical team with a treatment plan. They found blood in his nose and mouth which is indicative of trauma so he was started on medical treatment including fluids, lots of good food and rest. He needed to be hand fed as, like most ospreys, he wouldn`t eat on his own in captivity. Happily, the osprey is getting stronger every day, and is now in an outdoor enclosure that gives him lots of room to spread his wings. Some of his feathers are broken, so the rehabilitation team will have to
assess how well he flies and research options to help him with his migration.
Getting festive with wildlife!
These baby chipmunks were found alone on the sidewalk while a cat hovered nearby. They seem to enjoy the fall holidays too!
ANOTHER HOME RUN BLUE JAY RELEASE DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! When the Toronto Blue Jays are in the outfield and the opposing team is hard at work on bat, our guys are on the ball!
wing. Fortunately, he got the care and treatment he needed at Toronto Wildlife Centre to recover from his injuries. She thinks he may have hit her window.
A young of the year blue jay who was released this fall displayed some common blue jay defense during his stay in the centre.
Throughout the fall migration season, TWC admits many injured birds with this same condition. Although blue jays don’t migrate south in the fall, they still hit a window now and again, so just a reminder to bird proof your windows by hanging strings of beads in front of them, putting up decals that cover 80% of the window or rubbing the outside of the windows with a bar of soap.
He entertained our rehabilitation staff and volunteers with his ability to mimic red-tailed hawks. Blue jays will mimic the calls of predatory birds to scare away other birds that may compete with them for food. They can also help other birds by letting them know when a predatory bird is coming, letting out a shriek when they see one. Blue jays aren’t the only ones with great defensive techniques, but one of their food sources, butterflies, have a clever way of fooling them too. The viceroy butterfly will disguise itself as a monarch butterfly, which are poisonous to blue jays and other birds. Lynne had found this blue jay lying on her balcony with an injured
Your donations give these injured birds a second chance.
TWC Rescue team are Toronto Stars Steve Russell/Toronto Star
One little raccoon, lovingly named Scoop by Toronto Star staff, brought the community together this fall What looked like any other sunny October morning was the second day that Scoop the raccoon had been precariously balancing on a fourth story ledge of the Toronto Star building in downtown Toronto.
extend four stories.
Twitter and Facebook were alive with comments asking TWC to please save Scoop.
By the time the life-saving operation was underway over a hundred people had gathered round to watch.
Concerned for the raccoon’s welfare, TWC`s rescue team started working on their plan.
Firefighters and rescue team leader, Andrew, were raised to the fourth floor using an aerial firetruck where Andrew swiftly netted Scoop.
None of the windows near the ledge opened so they couldn’t do the rescue from the inside, and TWC doesn’t have ladders that can
Because Scoop was in this hard to reach spot, our rescue team called the Toronto fire department and they agreed to help.
When the frightened animal arrived at our hospital, she was found to be thin, weak and unbalanced. At this time of year, raccoons are fattening up for the winter so being on a ledge for a few days wouldn’t generally make them thin and weak. Rescue team leader, Andrew explains his plan to the Toronto fire staff.
Jesse Winter/Toronto Star Rescue team members, Anne (left), Sarrah (right) and Toronto firefighters held a net in case Scoop got scared and jumped.
This means something must have been going on prior to Scoop’s escapade. TWC’s veterinary and rehabilitation staff are still investigating her health problems to determine the best course of treatment.
We are optomistic about her chances for a full recovery. Without donors like you, our rescue team would not have the resources to carry out complicated rescues like this one. Your support saved Scoop. Thank you.
Scoop is in a quiet, dark enclosure, with daily attention and a specialized diet to encourage her to eat. After they were lowered down, rescue team members Stacey and Sarrah took control of the net and moved Scoop safely into a kennel cab.
Jesse Winter/Toronto Star
Wild Ball was a blast for all
Two-time Olympic silver medalist Elvis Stojko graciously posed for many photos with fans including TWC`s executive director Nathalie Karvonen. Wild Ball 2016 was a great success thanks to all of the wonderful guests, sponsors, auction item donors and hard-working volunteers! Special thanks to the Palais Royale Ballroom for the gorgeous venue and MVI who brought the night to life with their screens. People raved about the food! Executive Chefs Steffan Howard, Brad Long, Stuart Cameron, Doug McNish and Moira Ashby created a delicious assortment of courses. Classical guitarist Angelo Sartorelli set the mood as guests arrived, talented dancers from PDC Entertainment gracefully opened the evening’s entertainment, Zero Gravity Circus wowed the audience with their aerial talents, and Liona Boyd’s gentle voice and beautiful guitar playing was enjoyed by all. Our thanks to our emcee, CP24’s Ann Rohmer, who had guests eating out
of the palm of her hand as she guided them through the evening. This year’s event boasted special guests like Olympic skater, Elvis Stojko, MP Peter Kent, CHUM FM’s Roger Ashby, actor Sonja Smits, Toronto city councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker and Markham city councillor Valerie Burke. We hope to see you at next year’s gala!
Just in time for the holidays...
Gift Cards Donate in honour of a friend, relative, pet or colleague and Toronto Wildlife Centre will send a beautiful 5 x 7 card acknowleging your gift. Visit torontowildlifecentre.com/tribute or call 416-631-0662 ext 3207.
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Fall Wishlist ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
fresh berries black walnuts branches of all sizes to use in animal enclosures newspaper boxes with lids of various sizes gift cards (Lowes, Home Depot, major grocery stores, gas stations, Staples) You can bring items to TWC from 9am-6pm, 7 days a week.
Questions about items?
Email donations@torontowildlifecentre.com or call (416) 631-0662 ext 3207 For our full wishlist visit torontowildlifecentre.com/wishlist
Questions about wildlife? Call our
WILDLIFE HOTLINE: (416) 631-0662 General inquires (416) 631-0662 x 3205 or admin@torontowildlifecentre.com Donations (416) 631-0662 x 3207 or donations@torontowildlifecentre.com 4 - 60 Carl Hall Road Toronto ON M3K 2C1 Charitable registration number: 141146290 RR0001