2021 has proven to be just as busy, if not more so, than 2020!  Despite the ongoing pandemic, we are still taking in animals nearly every day. Many others are closed or taking in limited numbers of animals, so we are often the go-to for taking in those that need help. We have taken in babies of all kinds this year, from the usual squirrels, opossums, and bunnies, to more unusual ones like a groundhog and mice. We’ve had some different species come in, such as a killdeer and some chimney swifts. The numbers of animals coming in are higher than in usual years, and donations are down. We need your donations to help care for all the North Carolina fauna coming through our doors! Here are some of the animals and stories we want to share from the past few months!

This little squirrel came to us with a broken tail. We were able to make a splint and allow it to heal so they could grow and be released.

Just one of our many groups of baby bunnies that we had in our care this summer.

This bird is a killdeer. They live in open fields and are a rare visitor to our center. This one was not feeling well, either from being malnourished or from potential poisoning. Your donations help us care for unique animals like this!

We got to experience some wildlife in our own yard this spring. We had several mama deer give birth in our front yard and we were lucky enough to watch them feed and raise their babies! Your donations allow us to also purchase food to give our local wildlife, such as this deer family!

This spring and summer, there was a mysterious illness affecting birds on the East Coast. Most were in the Mid-Atlantic states, but we had a bird come in from Mt. Airy, NC that we believe was affected. We took it to the State Animal Disease Lab 2 hours away to be tested. There were no tests for the illness itself, but they were able to test for other diseases that came back negative. It was a new experience to be a part of something like this. Your donations help us pay for gas money to be able to make trips like this to help wildlife in our state!

On a Saturday night in September, we got a call around 8pm that there were birds hitting a building in Winston-Salem in large numbers and falling onto the ground. The person who called in was unsure of what to do. We were equally as perplexed! We quickly got organized with boxes and containers and drove to Winston-Salem to help these birds, unsure of what we would find. These birds were chimney swifts. They migrate during the late summer/early fall and were seemingly confused by the lights being on in a glass-faced building. In the dark, they didn’t see the reflections to know they couldn’t fly through and unfortunately kept hitting the building.  When we arrived, there were tens of birds on the ground. Many others had been there before, but luckily were able to fly off. Many more did as well. Of the over 100 estimated birds that hit the building, 4 didn’t survive. We brought 4 home with us, as they were alive but not responding quickly. After a night of care, they were able to fly off the next morning!

This is a photo of some of the birds that had recently hit the building. We were able to keep them safe in boxes while they rested until they could fly away and continue migrating.

This is our van in front of the building the swifts hit. This has happened with chimney swifts before in similar situations (lights on in a building at night), but we had never heard about it before this. It’s a reminder just how much humans can influence wildlife! Your donations allow us to respond to calls like this!

This poor squirrel was attacked by a hawk and  had several bot fly infections. We were able to get it back to health and back into the wild!

This barred owl came into our care after being hit by a car.

A few weeks ago, we went on a literal wild goose chase! We were contacted by someone from the Grandover Resort in Greensboro about an inured goose. Based on the description, it was suffering from a condition called Angel Wing. As it affects their wings and makes them unable to fly, it was possible to capture it, but we knew it wouldn’t be easy, as it still had access to water. We planned a rescue effort and made the trip to capture this goose, in addition to another that was displaying signs as well, but not as severe. The first goose we got away from the water quickly and captured it. The second was less inured and more alert so it kept going into the water. But with some time and patience, we were able to capture it as well and get them back to our center safely.

We got to take our van on the golf course so we could be close to the geese for capture!

We captured the first one!

And number 2! Your donations allow us to conduct rescues like this and help animals in the community!

One of our most recent intakes is this hawk that got hit by a car.

Baby squirrels are still coming into our center fall comes in. Winter is coming up and some animals will need to be overwintered, which means higher food bills to keep them fed through the season, until they can be released in the spring. We need your help to continue caring for all the various animals that come through our doors! Please consider donating to help us in our mission!

Many rehabbers are still closed, so we are continuing to have more animals brought into our care every single day! As the summer weather heats up, our needs increase as well. We are going to the grocery store more often for fresh produce. The AC units are running in our clinic areas to keep our critters comfy. Our foster dog Oliver is still in our care and we needed to build him a roof for shade. We now also have some patients who require more specialized foods. We need your donations to help continue to care for our furred and feathered friends! The summer months can be some of our busiest, and as a result, the most expensive! Check out a sample of what has come through our doors recently!

This opossum was attacked by a coyote and needed our help!

This beautiful bluebird hit a window and needed to get some TLC before he could go back into the wild.

This red-bellied woodpecker was hit by a car

The baby opossums are growing fast! Their dietary needs are changing as they grow, which means more trips to the store. Your donations will help us feed them the foods they need to get bigger, stronger, and ready to get back into the wild!

We are continuing to use social distancing practices with contact-less animal pick-ups. We want everyone to stay safe while caring for our local wildlife!

These baby robins were orphaned, and one had an injured leg. Here, they are getting some food soon after their arrival to our center!

This box turtle was injured by a large bird

This toad was attacked by an unknown predator. Our patients come in all shapes and sizes!

Its baby bird season, so we are seeing more cases like this. This baby cowbird was found in the road and needed our help, as its too young to be on its own!

These little baby bunnies came to us after a dog attacked their nest. They are getting warm in some fleece blankets. Your donations will allow us to get more blankets to help keep babies warm and cozy!

This special resident came to use after being found in a pool. This little wood duck has a very special diet of mealworms and fruit (pictured). When it gets older, it will also need to be fed fresh fish so it can learn to catch food in the wild. We need your donations so we can provide this diet to this little one as it grows. We also need to purchase mulch for a larger cage so we can house a pool for it to swim and get waterproof prior to release! It currently can swim in a small plastic tub, but that won’t last long!

Due to coronavirus, many wildlife rehabilitators have closed their doors to limit social interaction. But we are open! We have had to change our admitting practices so that when taking in any new animals, we are practicing social distancing to protect everyone involved. Of course, this all means that we are getting many calls and have a variety of mouths to keep fed this spring. This also means more frequent trips to the grocery store for fresh produce and other food items. Any donation makes a big difference, especially in these uncertain times.

An example of our social distancing pickup!

Here is a look at some of the critters that are in our care!

This dove hit a window, but will be receiving care at the center.

These baby cottontail rabbits were attacked by cats. The little one is eating up some clover and they are both growing more before they can go back to the wild.

This screech owl was hit by a car and needed our care.

A storm knocked down a tree which put a limb through the roof of one of our sheds. We had to pay for the repair to keep cages and supplies stored. Your donations help fund everything from the day to day activities, to the unexpected costs such as this!

This little squirrel is one of several currently in our care, getting big enough to transition to an outdoor cage before release in several weeks. They need fresh produce daily, so our grocery trips are more frequent!

This group of baby opossums are enjoying snuggling in a donated knit nest! The mother was attacked by a dog and the babies were rescued.

This female cardinal hit a window and needed some care as a result.

This songbird needed our help, and we were happy to provide it!

This group of wrens was just dropped off!

North Carolina is now allowing for rehabilitation of rabies vector species (raccoons, skunks, and fox) with the proper qualifications. We have those and are expanding operations to be able to take in more of these animals, like these baby skunks! Donations will help us achieve our goal of helping more of North Carolina’s wildlife!

In addition to the wildlife, Ted, Velvet, and Delana began personally fostering this sweet pup named Oliver. He was found abandoned on the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway and needed a foster home who could provide some special care while he healed from wounds and malnourishment. They accepted but he is now a longer-term foster, as his transport to a rescue in Canada has been put on hold due to the coronavirus. He has put on weight, is healing well, and is a super sweet guy!

On Sunday, September 23, Ted made a second trip to Wilmington to rescue 25 more baby squirrels, bringing the total to 80 squirrels that have come through the doors since the storm ravaged the eastern part of North Carolina. After a 12-hour trip, he brought the babies back to NAWC. Some of the new arrivals were newborns, complete with umbilical cord still attached. NAWC has also been fortunate to receive some donations of food and drinks for our volunteers from Papa Murphy’s Pizza in Greensboro, The Filling Station restaurant in Winston-Salem, and Bojangles in Eden, NC. These donations are much appreciated! Donations of all kinds are still needed, and we are trying to raise $5,000 for the continued expenses for care for the babies, while they are here for several weeks, months, and over the winter.

After Hurricane Florence ripped through our state, Noah’s Ark Wildlife Center received a call from some rehabbers on the East Coast. Their homes and centers under water and without power, they were desperately trying to save the wildlife being brought to them that were impacted from this epic storm. Ted and Velvet immediately starting making calls and plans to act as soon as they were able. Little lives were on the line! Less than 24 hours later Ted was packing our van with bins, supplies, and lots of gas cans to be sure we could get in to Wilmington to get them out.

A board member’s home in Cary was used as a staging area for donations gathered for the potentially treacherous journey ahead. A generous donation of supplies including formula, blankets, and food was made by Wildlife Welfare in Raleigh, NC. After loading up, Ted set out to find a safe route into the flooded area. Once arriving in Wilmington, Ted loaded a total of 55 squirrels into warm, dry bins full of food and headed back to NAWC in Stokes County. He took another stop in Cary on the way back to triage and feed the new arrivals. Thanks to volunteers Bill and Cynthia for the late night bottle feeding help during this important stop over. The squirrels finally arrived here at NAWC at 12:45am Thursday morning after the 18 hour journey. Velvet and Jessica were waiting at the center for the arrival and setup. After a few more hours, all of our new babies were calling NAWC home. More squirrels are already arriving in Wilmington and plans are being made to assist with those as well.

Back of the NAWC van loaded up with bins full of baby squirrels, ready to head to Stokes County

No backseat drivers in this bunch!

Feeding and triage station at a board member’s house in Cary, NC.

Ted feeding hungry babies

Cynthia assisting feeding smaller babies

Feeding the smallest babies

Back at NAWC, bins set up and ready for their first feeding in their new home

It’s a long trip, we’ll need a snack!

Bins in the main squirrel room

More bins, babies, and supplies!