The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : WildCare The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : WildCare
Showing posts with label WildCare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WildCare. Show all posts

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Elderly Couple Left Bloodied with Scratches and Cuts from Vicious Squirrel Who Has Already Attacked Eight People in a California Neighborhood


A California couple were both hospitalized with deep cuts and scratches after being attacked by a vicious squirrel terrorizing their neighborhood.

Richard Williams, 87, was doing chores in the garage when a squirrel slipped through an open door in his Novato home and pounced on him.

The squirrel clawed and scratched at Williams' head, arm and legs, immediately jumping back on him every time Williams managed to pull him off - and even smashing his glasses.

“He charged me and jumped, and from then on, the battle started,” Williams told CBS San Francisco.

Williams' wife Norma, 83, heard his screams and immediately ran to his aid.

She grabbed a broom and started hitting the squirrel, who then jumped on her and managed to scratch her hands.

Williams was then able to grab the squirrel by the tail and swung him to the garage floor, where he was momentarily stunned before racing out the door.

A neighbor brought the couple to the hospital, where they also received dozens of shots for illnesses such rabies and tetanus, in case the squirrel had them.

This wasn't the squirrel's first strike.

The Marin Humane Society believes the same squirrel has been responsible for attacks on eight people in the past three weeks, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

A Pacific Gas and Electric Company worker was scratched on the head while working in the yard of a home where the squirrel had just attacked a woman inside on November 13.

Just five days later, the squirrel brought chaos to the Pleasant Valley Elementary school when it slipped into a classroom and ran up a teacher's leg before biting her on the shoulder.

The squirrel then ran into another classroom, where it bit a child, according to CBS San Francisco.

A custodian was able to remove the squirrel from the classroom, but it escaped by the time the Marin Humane Society arrived at the school.

Experts believe a single squirrel has been responsible for the attacks because they have occurred in the same general area within the Novato neighborhood.

And officials believe the squirrel's behavior could be tied to humans feeding them, which is illegal in the state of California.

“If a wild animal gets the idea that humans provide food, somehow they get it in their head that all humans provide food,” Alison Hermance of Wildcare told CBS.

Which means they go up to people and when they don't get food, they can become aggressive.”

The Marin Society believes the squirrel may now be dead, as it has not been heard from since the most recent attack on the couple on November 27.

“All of the attacks have been within just a few days of each other,” she said in a statement obtained by the San Jose Mercury News.

“However, since the victim of the last attack indicated he injured the squirrel and there have not been any more attacks since, it's quite possible the squirrel has died.”


Richard Williams, 87, (pictured) and his wife Norma, 83, were left hospitalized with bloody scratches and cuts after a vicious squirrel terrorizing their Novato, Callifornia neighborhood attacked.


Williams was doing chores in the garage when a squirrel slipped through an open door in his Novato door and immediately pounced.



The vicious squirrel clawed and scratched at Williams' head, arm and legs and smashed his glasses. When Norma heard his screams she ran to her husband's aide and hit the squirrel with a broom.


The squirrel then jumped on Norma and managed to scratch her hand (pictured).


The Marin Humane Society believes the same squirrel has been responsible for attacks on eight people in the past three weeks.

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Monday, April 13, 2015

Orphaned Baby Songbirds Need Your Help, Knitting Them Cute Little Nests


There is nothing better than waking up to a warm, sunny morning and hearing the sound of baby birds happily tweeting away in their nests.

During the first few weeks of spring, these baby birds will spend the majority of their time safely huddled in their nests until they learn to fly. Unfortunately, however, the time when baby birds are most reliant on their nests often coincides with spring landscaping season for humans. This can spell disaster for a new family of birds if the tree or bush where their nest is hidden is recklessly trimmed or pruned.

For WildCare, a California-based animal rescue organization, springtime means an influx of orphaned baby songbirds who have sadly become the victims of irresponsible landscaping. Successfully rescuing and rehabilitating these little birds until they can be released requires an incredible amount of expertise and experience. These newborn birds require a highly specific diet and environment to thrive.

To care for the hundreds of birds who end up at the sanctuary, WildCare started making tiny, knit nests to house the newborns.


As you can see in the photo below, most baby birds are no bigger than the size of a paperclip and need the nests to help keep them warm.





Depending on the species, these babies need to be fed every 25-45 minutes.





While they do require a lot of intensive care, these little guys can fledge over the course of one to three weeks and be released back into the wild shortly thereafter.




If you have a knack for knitting, you can help WildCare rescue orphaned songbirds by making one of these precious nests. For the instructions on how to do so, CLICK HERE

And remember, if you’re doing some yard work this spring, be sure to check your trees and shrubs for hidden birds’ nests before you start trimming! If you come across any orphaned or injured fledglings, be sure to contact a professional before trying to move or help the birds in any way. WildCare runs a 24-hour “Living with Wildlife” hotline that can help instruct you on the appropriate steps to take. If you are not located in California, you can also check out one of these hotlines  for help.

For more information on songbirds, visit the website below:
Songbirds A Colorful Chorus FOLLOW US!
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