Opossums are cute!

Opossums are really cute critters!

Sometimes they get a bum rap because they are misunderstood.

Our Animal Ambassador Petey!

A very young opossum....

A 5 month old opossum in our rehabilitation program.....

All about Opossums!

Virginia Opossums are the only marsupial native to the United States, which means the female carries the young in her pouch. She carries them until they are old enough and big enough to run around on their own a bit while learning to scavenge with her, which is at a few months of age.

They are excellent climbers with their unique paws. Opossums cannot hang from their tail-- they use the prehensile tail to help them grab onto the items they are climbing, like a tree limb, fence, or up the arm of one of the keepers! If you grab an opossum by their tail, they can have their spinal cord severely damaged.

Opossums are scavengers-- they do not actively hunt for food. They are looking for an easy food source. This can be a compost pile, a fruit tree, a garbage bag, or the dog and cat food someone left outside! Since they are omnivores, there are a lot of opportunities for them to find food.

Opossums do play "'possum", or act dead, to protect themselves. If they feel threatened, they will freeze and act dead so a predator does not hurt or kill them. They can stay frozen for a period of time. Opossums also have over 50 teeth-- they will show these off to protect themselves as well.

Come on out and meet Petey, our resident Opossum, at WLS! On this post are a few pictures of him and some young ones we have gotten in for rehab to release back into the wild.

Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

It's Baby Season in Wildlife Rehab!

9 week coyote pups

4 week old raccoon

4 week old mink

Our R-PAWS program has been a busy one this summer!

R-PAWS stand for Rehabilitation Program at the Wildlife Sanctuary. This is a program run on donations and volunteer time. Last year, the R-PAWS program admitted nearly 4,500 orphaned, injured, and ill wildlife from the public. In 2011, we have already admitted over 1,000 mammals! Here are a few pictures of some of the animals we have been caring for.

You can help support the R-PAWS program in a few ways:
Donate items from our "baby list" posted on our website!

Walk in our Walk for Wildlife event on Saturday, September 17th!

Call Animal Care at the Wildlife Sanctuary if you find an orphaned or injured animal! The number is (920) 391-3685.

Volunteer your time to help clean cages, fold laundry, or prepare food for the animals!

As always, we thank you for your support and we hope you have a great day!

adult Tundra Swan

Canada Geese goslings

Blue Jay nestlings

Fox Kit

Owl rescued from soccer net!

Here are some "great" photos from a Great Horned Owl rescue! Our intern David and our animal keeper Amy were alerted to this little guy in need of help thanks to some concerned citizens who called the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Since the owl was just leaving the nest and was not quite on his own, we added him to our rehab brood of young Great Horned Owls that have been rescued this spring. This rescued owl is doing well and is on his way to recovery, thanks to our dedicated R-PAWS volunteers and from your support!

WELL DONE!!!

Construction Update:
The Observation Buildling and the parking lot at that building will be closed to the public until June 11.
All other exhibits and public areas and trails are open!

The Bobcat Saga Continues-- part 4

SHE HAS A HOME!!!!

We are pleased to announce we have found a great home for our little bobcat who has been with us for about 2 months now. She will be going to a wonderful facility in New Hampshire where she can be outside and be cared for by some great people! Keep an eye on the blog and Good Day Wisconsin/Fox 11 to see updates on her journey. As always, it is so important to keep wild animal wild-- but if you find an animal that seems to be in distress or in need of assistance, please call Animal Care here at WLS at 920-391-3685. Thank you everyone for your support!

The Bobcat Saga Continues Part 3...Bobcat on Good Day Wisconsin!

Hello everyone! Good Day Wisconsin/Fox 11 in Green Bay did a great clip featuring the bobcat! We would like to thank the entire staff at Good Day Wisconsin for their help in promoting her situation and our R-PAWS program. Here is a link to check it out: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/good_day_wi/getting-wild-at-the-bay-beach-wildlife-sanctuary

Resch Falls is Up and Running!

After a long winter of dormancy, Resch Falls is up and running as of today at the Sanctuary! Spring must be really (finally) here! Water is now cascading over the rocks, the ice is cleared off the lagoons and lots of migrating waterfowl are stopping by for a visit and rest on the lagoons.

Parking lot construction will begin April 25 down at the Observation Building. The lot will be closed off to the public for 3-4 weeks. Corn will still be available up behind the Nature Center and the boardwalk to Resch Falls will continue to be open. Our summer hours will begin Monday, April 18. The Nature Center will be open 8:00 am - 7:30 pm daily, trails open daily 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Birthday Party for the Animals

Birthday Party for the Animals for Wednesday March 23, 2011 has been cancelled due to the weather and road conditions.

Thank you for your generosity in our Toy Drive!

Animal Care would like to thank everyone for their generous donations of animal toys this past winter. As you can see below, the many gifts have made a big difference in their lives, giving new enrichment experiences. We appreciate all the time and effort you have given!

Delilah Skunk exploring a new toy!

Delilah and King Louie, our striped skunks, playing on a new bed!

Spike the porcupine on her new stuffed animal!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

The Bobcat Saga Continues-- part 2

Our Bobcat has been checked over by our veterinarian and looks good. Our vet did a full body exam, drew blood to check her organs and to see if there are any infections, and weighed her. She weighs 19 pounds-- she's a big girl with her weight being that high and she is still so skinny. Our bobcat has been adjusting slowly, enjoying chicken legs as a treat with her regular meal of a special carnivore diet and venison. She has also started playing with toys in front of us, including balls and large cat toys. We are hoping to finalize a home for her in the next month.

Watch our blog for weekly updates as we help this bobcat find a new home!
We hope to see you at WLS soon enjoying the spring weather!

Celebrating 75 years at WLS!

We want You to help us Celebrate 75 years at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary!

Check out our Facebook page on our Website and post your favorite photos, stories, and memories of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Founder's Day is coming up fast on Sunday, April 17th, where we plan to share many of your entries. Haven't heard of Founder's Day? It's a new event here at WLS and here is your invitation:

The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is inviting the Greater Green Bay community to celebrate its 75th birthday! In honor of this milestone, the Sanctuary will be holding a free Founder’s Day event that will feature an animal release, a first person characterization of an old (really old!) founder of the Sanctuary, and a chance to meet some of the Sanctuary’s animal ambassadors. Visitors can also take advantage of all the exhibits and education areas the Sanctuary offers during the year. And what is a birthday party without cake? Sanctuary staff will be serving birthday cake in the Nature Center while supplies last.

So come on up to the Nature Center from 1pm until 3:30pm and help us celebrate our 75th anniversary motto:

"Soaring Forward with the Wildlife Sanctuary"

And thank you all for helping make these past 75 years wonderful!

Hope to see you there!

The Bobcat Saga...

Hello everyone! As you read in the Honker, we have a bobcat here with an interesting tale. She was found two years ago as a kitten wandering outside. Someone found her and decided they would care for her. Now residing at the WLS, we do not know if this kitten was in distress or if something had happen to the mother. Whatever the situation was, this bobcat ended up living in a cage in a basement for 2 years.
After some unfortunate circumstances, this scared, thin creature ended up at the Wildlife Sanctuary. We have been trying to make her comfortable, offering new foods and seeing what she wants to eat, and watching her discover new smells and toys. We are hoping after her vet check we can find her a great home with sunshine above her and grass and dirt below her paws.

There are many wild animals, in Wisconsin and around the world, that find themselves in this situation. As desirable as it may seem, wild animals do not make good pets. As you can see by her pictures below, this bobcat looks very cute, sweet, and harmless. Actually, bobcats are quite dangerous. Any wild orphaned or injured animal found should be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator so it may be handled carefully, treated for any ailments, and given a chance to be released back into the wild where it belongs… not kept in a basement and not able to see the sun. Wild animals deserve to have a chance to be wild.

We are hoping for a happy ending for this bobcat. We will keep you posted through our blog. If you ever have any questions about wildlife, if one is in distress, or if you know of one in need of assistance or care, please feel free to call animal care at the Wildlife Sanctuary at 920.391.3685.
Have a great day—and be sure to get outside and enjoy the arrival of spring!

HAPPY GROUNDHOG'S DAY EVERYONE!

Well, Green Bay Betty, our new groundhog, did see her shadow this morning on GoodDay Wisconsin on Fox 11... so, it means 6 more weeks of winter!

That's okay though, because you can celebrate winter this Saturday, February 5th, at Frosty Family Fun Night! It's a great event where we have music by Good News, 2 night hikes, a bonfire where we roast s'mores, visits with animal ambassadors, night snowshoeing, a great treat table (including a chocolate dipping station), and crafts for the kids! Frosty Family Fun Night is from 5:30 until 8pm at the Nature Center. At only $5 a family or carload or free for Friends members, it is for sure the best deal in town! All proceeds go towards the Friends of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. We are also giving away Friends memberships and gift certificates to our giftshop! We hope to see you there!!

Happy 2011!

Thank you everyone for your support in 2010! We hope you all have a wonderful 2011!



Check out our website at baybeachwildlife.com for winter tips to help the critters that are coming through your yard this season. You can put out Christmas trees for shelter! Give a daily dish of warm water! Roll pinecones in peanut butter and seeds for wildlife treats! A few small actions make a big difference in helping wildlife get through winter.



And a quick update.... Our bald eagle we have been telling you about is still here! She is feisty as ever, but still has not molted to grow good flight/primary feathers. She is eating and maintaining a good weight. Her bones have healed well. We hope to keep updating you on how she is doing. And yes, we are still doing physical therapy with her!



Have a great week! Remember-- be sure to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature all around you!