“It's been a very strange year.”
Wild Instincts Wildlife Rehabilitation Director Mark Naniot says this year will likely be right up there with the record number of animal admissions.
That’s not the strange part.
“Not as many songbirds, like I said, a lot more mammals it seems. A lot more baby mice, a lot more baby bunnies, and so it’s keeping us very busy,” said Naniot.
The Rhinelander wildlife rehabilitation center takes in upwards of 1,000 sick and injuries animals each year.
Earlier this year, they were bracing for influx of bird’s sick from avian influenza. Naniot says it looks like it didn’t reach this far north this year.
“We started hearing cases of it back in February, March, April, down in Milwaukee, Madison. Then we started hearing some cases in Green Bay about probably April or so,” said Naniot. “We were preparing for it and anticipating it would happen, and luckily, we did not get it.”
Wild Instincts will take in a wide range of wildlife in need of assistance. Otters, bears, fawns, squirrels, fox kits, loons, eagles, and turtles are just a small sample of the animals that come through their doors.
The small staff makes themselves available 24/7 for calls about injured wildlife.
“We give a lot of animals a second chance and second opportunity. We also provide a lot of education to the public as well. Anything from school programs, adult programs, as well as just giving out information over the phone. People call about the nest of baby bunnies or a fawn that's just laying in their yard, and ‘is this normal?’” said Naniot.
Wild Instincts does all this work also entirely on donations.
Naniot says they’ll sometimes try for grants but with limited staff there’s not much spare time for grant writing.
It’s making the recent $50,000 donation from Gale Willcox especially important.
“When you consider our operating expense and some of the expenses of taking care of the animals, building enclosures, for example, we always say raising one bear cub costs about $5,000 and we've had some years where we have had 20. When you start doing the math, it's a lot of money that goes out,” said Naniot. “Getting in a donation like that for us is huge. It's very much appreciated.”
Willcox said she loves animals and recognizes the hard work Wild Instincts does with relatively little operating funds.
“It's just incredible, the cost and what they're doing. I just wanted to help them a bit,” said Willcox.
She hopes her donation will inspire others to be charitable.
“That's why I don't just give anonymously,” said Willcox. “That lets others know that someone is caring and maybe they will too.”
Naniot says Wild Instincts always accepts monetary donations. They also keep an updated wish list of items that they’re always in need of on their website.
