The timing for the busy spring baby season could not have been worse. In the midst of record high intake numbers for the Wildlife Hospital in March, a global pandemic set forth sweeping changes in Ohio.
For the hospital, its designation as an essential service kept operations open to accept wildlife patients during the typical 7-days a week schedule. But dozens of volunteers who covered shifts throughout the week could no longer be on-site because of state health and safety restrictions. Animal care had to be limited to staff-only status.
It was a challenging adjustment in a spring that has seen more than 3,000 injured, ill or orphaned animals brought to the Wildlife Hospital, a significant increase over this time last year.
Putting the COVID19 protocols at the Wildlife Hospital in place ensured the safety of volunteers and staff as a top priority, according to Stormy Gibson, assistant executive director of the Wildlife Center. But social distancing meant that volunteers could no longer work side-by-side with staff at the Hospital. Hundreds of mammals cared for through the Ohio Wildlife Center programs at state correctional facilities also needed alternative placements when prisons closed all contact to outside visitors.
As the animal babies flooded in, the call went out for newly sidelined volunteers to open their doors for homecare.
“It was a win-win scenario we needed,” Gibson said. “The volunteers could again do the meaningful work they love, and we could extend our very limited staff care as our patient numbers have been expanding every day.”
Hospital to homecare: volunteers step-up to care for fragile wildlife
In a typical year, experienced homecare volunteers always assist the hospital by taking in the most common species for care – Eastern cottontail rabbits, squirrels, and Virginia opossums. By necessity, the hospital had to quickly expand its homecare network to include many volunteers who were usually based only in the hospital.
Dozens stepped up, with spare bedrooms becoming bunny nurseries and home offices holding cages for tiny orphaned opossums. Safe spaces away from family pets with natural light were found for the around-the-clock care necessary for fragile mammals.
Many of the homecare volunteers care for approximately 12 babies at a time – on average a five-hour time commitment each day. Depending on the age of the animal, they might need to be hand-fed six times a day, including some feedings in the middle of the night for the smallest babies. Ohio Wildlife Center provides caging, food and formula. Some volunteers also contribute and shop on their own for greens, vegetables, fruits, berries, seeds and nuts needed for older animals.
Betsy Sidorenko, an Ohio Wildlife Center volunteer and supporter for the past 18 years, specializes in homecare for Eastern cottontail rabbits. She’s considered by many hospital staff to be the “bunny-whisperer” and has done homecare for the past eight years.
“I have a knack for bunnies – as babies, they’re fragile,” she said as she explained her homecare set up. She receives the bunnies when they’re about four-weeks-old and weigh just 90 to 100 grams. The babies are housed in two hutches that were constructed by her neighbor, who is a master carpenter. In the outdoor hutches, complete with transfer doors, the bunnies get acclimated to the sights and sounds of the wild, so they are ready for release once they reach 140 grams. Last year, she provided loving care for 300 bunnies.
As a seasoned homecare volunteer, she’s also been an invaluable mentor to those who have just stepped up to help.
According to Drina Gentry, who is a shift supervisor and long-time hospital volunteer, homecare has been busier and more fulfilling than she imagined. She has alternated between caring for baby squirrels and opossums.
“The support has been great in getting set up from the hospital,” she said. “They’ve provided all the supplies and formula as well as the cages and aquariums.”
Many of the new homecare volunteers communicate through the Discord internal messaging system created by the hospital, she said, and staff and seasoned volunteers from the “baby brigade” offer help and solutions as fast as a request is made.
“This is quite different from working a four-hour shift once a week at the hospital, and you get to really see them grow and progress every day to that point where they are ready to be released,” she noted. “Your confidence builds as you gain more skills and it is more demanding than hospital work.”
During this pandemic separation from family and friends due to the coronavirus, volunteers say it is a blessing to focus on providing care for wild animals. Many of the orphans begin their homecare time with their eyes closed, and for the volunteers, it’s a special feeling to watch them open their eyes and grow into healthy, active young animals.
For Sherry Buckley, another long-time hospital volunteer now caring for baby squirrels and bunnies at her home, juggling the different feeding schedules for each of her baby groups has been a challenge. “Some days I am doing a feeding every hour for a different baby, so it gets pretty busy as they often are on different schedules.”
“I volunteered to do homecare because I really wanted to help in any way so we could continue to accept and care for these small creatures,” Buckley said. “Watching them grow and be released back into the wild is quite a rewarding experience.”
Gentry and Buckley said the system has been very smooth for pick-up and drop off when the babies are large enough and strong enough to be moved to the Pre-Release Facility. At the PRF, the animals spend time to gain strength and confidence with others of their species and minimal exposure to humans until their release.
While the circumstances have been challenging for many months, everyone has been adapting with the usual “can-do” spirit, Gibson noted. On Volunteer Appreciation Day in April, Ohio Wildlife Center found itself in an unusual place — sending special messages of gratitude to valued volunteers who were now separated from the organization they loved.
“Our volunteers contribute invaluable advice, skills, services, expertise and passion,” Gibson noted. “We are fortunate that we were able to set up this extended homecare program to continue saving animals and engaging people in doing work that is so critical to the hospital and our mission.”
“For us, every day is Volunteer Appreciation Day.”
