Squirrel

The More You Know

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife Leave a Comment

Did you know wildlife Rescues are micro businesses? A lot of people believe that being a nonprofit means we have no operating expenses and that we receive free services related to our mission (vet care, meds, feed, utilities, administrative fees, etc).

Nonprofits do not get anything for free. We still have to set a budget for the year and figure out HOW we will raise the funds to meet our budget. Because we are a designated nonprofit AND a registered charity we can fundraise and collect donations to help with expenses. And because we are a nonprofit our donors can receive a tax deduction. But we still pay for everything we need to properly operate as a rescue.

To be honest, fundraising sucks. Organizations like ours are all volunteer. No one receives a salary. We donate our time (and often our own money) to provide services for free to our community. We volunteer 7 days a week and we also have real jobs we have to go to everyday. AND on top of that we have to market, advertise, make public appearances and somehow fundraise and reach out to donors to make it all happen.

Nonprofits like ours do not exist because we get perks or freebies. We rarely get grants and we ARE NOT funded by the taxes you pay.

Nonprofits like ours DO exist because we love what we do. We are good at what we do. We care about the wildlife and exotic species in our state and we care about the people in our community who need our help.

Nonprofits like ours depend on our community for support just as much as our community depends on us when they need help.

If you support what we do and you want to help us continue our mission, donations can be sent via

PAYPAL

PTH Wildlife, PO Box 1523, Camden, SC 29021

A Win for Wildlife in SC

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife Leave a Comment

New Laws Protect Native Turtle/Reptile Species

October 21, 2020 was a great day for wildlife conservation in our state. Governor Henry McMaster signed into law a bill to protect native reptiles and amphibians from exploitation. This new law also set regulations for unlawful release of nonnative reptiles which has been an issue for a long time in South Carolina.
Over the last decade South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has seen an increase in the reptile and amphibian trade. Recent high-profile investigations began in SC and brought a lot of attention to the exploitation of native reptiles and amphibians.
According the SCDNR website many of our native species are in high demand in the pet trade and are sold in excess of $1,000 per animal, especially in Asia. South Carolina was one of the only southeastern states with no regulations therefore more collectors harvested from our state. Acknowledgement of our need for laws to protect wildlife led to the writing and passing into law of ACT 177.

SCDNR has been going above and beyond to educate the public about the new laws. They recently released a FAQ document to help us understand the changes. Here are the basics you need to know.

What does this new law change for native reptiles and amphibians?
Act 177 protects native turtles, establishes possession limits, and allows those that exceed possession limits to register their collection for a temporary exemption. It also allows SCDNR to manage native reptiles and amphibians through regulation, as well as making it illegal to release or let escape nonnative wildlife and provides increased penalties for violations. This bill also gives SCDNR the authority to regulate potentially damaging or invasive species.

What is the current regulation when it comes to the sale, transfer and possession of native reptiles and amphibians?
Previously there was little protection or regulation of sale and transfer of native reptiles and amphibians, which led to many wild South Carolina species being targeted for collection, potentially contributing to population declines. Before, all native species could be bought, sold, and possessed in unlimited quantity, except species listed as endangered or threatened in South Carolina.
With the passage of the new law and associated regulations, most native species are protected from wild collection and sale. However, important species in the pet trade, like corn snakes reproduced in captivity, can continue to be traded. Regulations identify species that may be bought and sold without harm to wild populations. Species that are not state listed, or otherwise regulated may continue to be possessed.

Does this change anything for nonnative species?
Before this bill, there was no restriction or penalty for the release or escape of most nonnative wildlife in South Carolina. This bill makes that illegal and establishes a penalty for violations.

What is that penalty?
This is a misdemeanor offense and upon conviction is subject to a fine of up to $2,500 and/or imprisonment of up to a year.

What are some of the more common nonnative species people encounter in the pet trade?
Red-Eared Sliders are your typical pet sore or flea market turtle for sale. Except for a few species, almost any species of snake, turtle, tortoise or amphibians sold in pet stores are considered nonnative. As a good rule, never release any animal that was kept captive. It most likely lacks the foraging and survival skills needed to survive, it will not be acclimated to the climate, and it could expose wild populations to parasites and disease. You can visit DNR.SC.GOV for a list of what is still allowed.

What are the possession limits now to native turtles?
The following personal possession limits, subject to an aggregate limit of ten, are established:
Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana): 5
River cooter (Pseudemys concinna): 5
Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia): 5
Eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta): 5
Spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera): 5
Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox): 5
Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum): 5
Striped mud turtle (Kinosternon baurii): 5
Common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus): 5
Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta): 5
Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina): 5
Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina): 2
Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin): 2

A total limit of 10 turtles. The law allows those who exceed these limits to register their animals for a temporary exemption. Prior to the bill, there were no limits on possession of native reptiles and amphibians except species listed as threatened or endangered. Possession of threatened and endangered species still require a permit.

Who needs to register their turtle collection?
Anyone who owns more than the limits listed above.

What if I find a turtle/snake and just want to keep it as a pet?
The way the current laws read, if the species in question is not protected, threatened nor endangered, there is no penalty for keeping a wild caught pet. We do greatly discourage anyone from taking wildlife and keeping it as a pet. It is impossible to provide a proper environment and diet for native wildlife in captivity.

What if I find a sick or injured turtle?
If you find a turtle that you believe to be sick or injured you can transport the turtle to a wildlife rescue that is permitted under the new laws.

What rescues are permitted to rehabilitate reptiles and amphibians?
Currently the closest wildlife rescue is Carolina Wildlife Center in Columbia, SC. Our rescue will need to update our enclosures and intake areas to accommodate the new laws. We planned to do this last year, but our funding has suffered due to COVID-19. Our current focus is species for which we are already permitted. This year we will be one of the only wildlife rescues in operation still permitted for fawns. Our focus, until more funding can be secured, will be exotic species, small mammals, and fawns.

SCDNR List of Permitted Reptile Rescues

Sources:
Jay Butfiloski, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Furbearer & Alligator Program Coordinator, SCDNR
Andrew Grosse, Herpetologist, SCDNR
Website: DNR.SC.GOV

Questions? Contact Andrew Grosse at herps@dnr.sc.gov

Alien Abductions

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Imagine YOU are strolling along in nature enjoying the scenery and just living life to the fullest. A UFO goes by, and you freeze. You are trying to blend into the scenery. But the alien in charge says, “Hey, do y’all see that? I bet she’d make a great house pet. My grandma used to have one.” The alien scoops you up and comments that you sure are docile. He wrongly assumes that must mean you like him, and you are bonding with him.
Next thing you know you are put in cage. You are fed freeze dried food that you have never had before. Food that is nothing like what you are used to eating and they give you a little dish of water. The alien and his family watch you as you try to adjust to your new home. They have fun tapping on your cage to startle you to make you look at them.
After a while the aliens don’t even try to take you out of the cage. Although you were docile when they took you, lately you have become more alert, and you try to run away when they take you out. They are also afraid you might bite them. Again.
The aliens don’t really know how to take care of you. They had a couple of specimens like you before that only lived for a little while. They have seen people on social media with species like you. But the aliens don’t want to let you go back into your natural habitat just yet. They love having you. They love showing you to their friends. If they are not careful, they are going to love you to death.
Eventually you protest enough until they get frustrated and dump you. They choose a spot they think looks suitable, but you do not know much about their world. They have taken you far away from where they found you. Sadly, at this point you have lost your survival skills. You are not in the best health. You have not been around your kind in so long that when you finally do find another like you, they shun you because you smell different.
You do not act right anymore. You look the same, but you just don’t belong, and you are now seen as an intruder. An intruder with zero survival skills. If you can acclimate with others like you again and not starve to death you might live when you are released. Hopefully you didn’t pick up any deadly germs while you were held captive. The stress of being relocated could also kill you. Unfortunately, the odds are not in your favor.

Does this sound a little too Science-Fiction for an article about wildlife rescue? Think again. This is often what happens when a human decides to remove a wild animal from its natural habitat and keep it as a pet or to “save” it from the wild.

Recently we were tagged in several social media posts from folks who needed help identifying a certain species or asking if they need to do anything to help the animal out. In each post there was that one person who commented about catching the animal and keeping it as a pet or to “save” it from its surroundings.
A lot of our readers know how we feel about captive wildlife. It’s just not humane. Keeping an animal in a cage because you think it’s a neat pet or because you think that is what is best for the animal is cruel.
There is no such thing as saving a healthy, thriving wild animal from the wild. Ever.

If you find an animal that you believe needs help you should contact a wildlife rescue BEFORE you save the animal. Wildlife rescues will ask important questions to help us know if the animal truly needs help. We can tell you how to reunite babies with their moms and we can tell you how to safely capture and transport an animal that needs help. We can make sure you find a rescue that has experience with the species you found.
A huge responsibility of wildlife rescue is to know when to leave Mother Nature alone. This does not mean to ‘let nature take its course.’ It simply means to allow wild moms to retrieve their babies, to leave fawns where their moms parked them, and to recognize that a fledgling bird is on the ground because it is learning to fly and not because it was abandoned. One of the greatest gifts we can give wildlife is not interfering unless we are positive the animal needs our help. It is our responsibility as human beings to know when to leave wildlife alone.

Rabies

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Human rabies cases are rare. The United States averages two human rabies deaths per year. Vaccine programs for pets and strict animal control laws can be credited for a steady decline in human rabies deaths. From time to time there are spikes in rabies positive cases in humans. 2021 was an above average year with five human rabies deaths in the United States.

Left untreated rabies is fatal. If a person is treated as soon as an exposure is known (BEFORE symptoms develop) the survival rate is 100%. There are only three cases of humans surviving rabies without treatment in the U.S.

Of the five cases in 2021, four were from exposure to rabies-positive bats. One case was a result of a dog bite a person received in another country. Human rabies deaths often occur when a person seeks treatment too late or does not realize they have been exposed. At least one death in 2021 was after a person refused post-exposure treatment.

Any mammal can contract and transmit rabies. In our state bats, skunks, and raccoons have a higher chance of carrying and transmitting the virus. We refer to these as rabies vector species. Other wild species like squirrels, mice, and opossum have a lower chance of carrying the disease and a RARE chance of transmitting the disease. NOTE: In the last 25 years South Carolina has had 2 opossum and 3 squirrels test positive for rabies. Neither were known to transmit the disease to humans. A deer tested positive in 2017.

Rabies can also infect domesticated and livestock species. Any livestock kept as a pet that has an approved rabies vaccine should be vaccinated. Cows, horses, and goats have tested positive. Cats are the leading carriers and transmitters for domesticated species in South Carolina.

Rabies is transmitted through direct contact with saliva or infected brain/nervous system tissue. Direct contact does not always mean a bite. Although it is rare, people can get rabies from non-bite exposures such as such as scratches or open wounds that are exposed to saliva or other infected tissue. In animals, nose to nose transmission and transmission via shared saliva at feed stations is possible.

Preventing exposure to rabies seems simple enough. Do not handle wildlife. Even wild babies can carry and transmit the virus. Do not pick up stray cats or dogs. Do not feed your pets outside where they could share their food stations with wild animals. There are also the freak accidents that happen. You could be outside, in the middle of your neighborhood and a fox might attack you. Or as with most exposures in our state, you could just be sleeping in your own bed and wake up to find a very innocent looking bat hanging from a light fixture.

Bats are beneficial to our environment. Without thinking it through, people will find a bat in their home or office and release it outdoors. The problem with releasing bats that were inside is you have no idea how long they were there. Bat bites are rarely felt, are not painful, and do not usually leave a mark. Most people compare bat bites to a mosquito bite. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control recommends testing all bats that are:
Found indoors in the living areas of a home.
Found in an area where children, persons of impaired mental capacity, or pets have been left unattended.
Any bats that have come into direct contact with a person or pet.

Raccoons are the leading rabies vector species in the nation, but almost all human rabies deaths are a result of a strain of rabies associated with bats. Rabies is a silent disease with very few outward symptoms. Most animals exhibit dumb rabies. They become docile and cuddly. We do not experience many cases of furious rabies, where the animal has the classic foaming at the mouth and violent behavior. The lack of visual symptoms is often the reason people do not report possible exposures. Another reason people do not want to report exposures is because testing requires an animal to be euthanized so the brain can be examined. We cannot stress enough -Yes, we are a wildlife rescue, but human safety is always our main priority when we receive calls about possible rabies exposures.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control monitors rabies exposure and testing in our state. CLICK HERE to learn more or to report a bite or possible rabies exposure.

Fawn 101

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Each year the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources sends out a press release reminding the public it is unlawful to take fawns from the wild and raise them. We are asked repeatedly WHY it is unlawful to keep a fawn and what we tell folks has nothing to do with the legality of possessing fawns and everything to do with reasons why fawns should only be cared for by trained wildlife rehabilitators and ONLY IF they truly need to be rescued.
Fawns require a specific diet. So specific that if a fawn is not fed what its body needs in a specific order it can die. And so specific that if a fawn is fed the wrong kind of nutrition it will die. And it will not die right away. It will die months later as its body starts wasting and painfully shuts down from not getting the specific nutritional needs at the specific time they are needed. We cannot be more specific about a fawn’s specific nutritional needs. That paragraph may have been a little annoying to read, but the NUMBER ONE REASON why captive fawns die is from being fed the wrong formula.
Deer are herd animals. They learn all their survival skills from other deer. A deer will not know how to be a deer unless it is raised with other deer. Fawns can imprint on humans fast. If you raise a single fawn it will not have the ability to herd with other deer when it gets older. Allowing a fawn to imprint or become human habituated means it can never be released.
Fawns need to be in herds the moment they are born. A lot of folks only intend to keep a fawn for a couple of months “to have the experience of raising one” and then surrender it to us when the fun is over. These fawns have a difficult time learning to herd once they are in our care. Or people intend to keep the fawn forever as a pet, but once it is too big to keep in their backyard, they start looking for somewhere to surrender the animal or even worse, they release the deer believing it will be able to survive on its own. Fawns that are surrendered after being kept by the owners often refuse to eat on their own or herd with other deer. Older fawns can stress themselves to death when they are removed from their familiar surroundings. And human imprinted and habituated deer are more likely to be hunted, mistaken for having disease and sometimes approach other people expecting to be fed.
Fawns RARELY need to be rescued. Walt Disney ruined what we believe about wildlife. Baby birds do not know how to fly before they leave the nest. They have to live on the ground a few days before they learn to fly. Furry animals do not magically clean our homes for us. Wild animals DO NOT stay with their babies. Let us say this together: WILD ANIMALS DO NOT STAY WITH THEIR BABIES. It is normal for fawns to be left alone for several hours. Mom will park her baby and watch from a safe distance. This is because Mom has a scent that could attract predators and babies do not have a scent. And mom is very visible while babies have spotted fur to help them blend in with their surroundings.
Stress Kills. Fawns removed from the wild will often stress to death. Do not mistake a calm fawn that does not run away as needing help. Animals have a natural “freeze instinct” that will kick in and prevent the animal from running away. Stress in deer causes a condition called capture myopathy. Capture myopathy is painful, and recovery is difficult.
It is important to know when to leave Mother Nature alone. Knowing when a wild animal truly needs help can be difficult for most people. That is where we come in. We are trained to know when an animal needs to be rescued and we can tell you where to take the animal and how to safely transport an animal to reduce stress and further injury. Just call us.
Wildlife rescues WILL NOT tell you how to care for a fawn. Or for any wild animal. We do not promote wildlife as pets and will not assist anyone who intends to keep a wild animal as a pet. Because wildlife rescues exist there is NO reason for a person to keep a wild animal as a pet.
Wildlife rescues are not animal shelters. We are not set up to keep animals forever. We are not here to take a wild animal you can no longer keep. We cannot give medical advice or provide medical care for animals you keep. Our purpose is to rehabilitate wild animals and prepare them for release into the wild BEFORE they become human imprinted or habituated. If a wild animal is brought to us as soon as it is found it has a more than 85% chance of surviving and being released back into its natural habitat when the time is right. Animals that have been kept are compromised and often have issues we cannot reverse.
Of course, there are obvious reasons to rescue a fawn. Fawns need rescue if they are found with a dead mother, are alone for more than 24 hours and showing signs of dehydration, have obvious injuries/bleeding, or if they have ants or fly larva on them. And fawns should only be removed from the wild if you have already contacted a wildlife rescue that has instructed you where to take the fawn. Most wildlife rescues do not pick up. It will be the finder’s responsibility to transport the fawn to a rescue.
CURLED EARS DO NOT MEAN A FAWN IS DEHYDRATED. How do we know? We have plenty of photos and videos of fawns with curled ears with their mothers. Many fawns ear tips will naturally curl back. There are ZERO studies to prove curled ears are a result of dehydration. NEVER, EVER rescue a fawn just because it has curled ear tips. Rescues have several criteria to determine if a fawn should be rescued and we would never recommend removing a fawn just for this reason.

Most predators do not see in color as humans do. Fawns are spotted and blend in almost perfectly with their surroundings.
(Left) Shows what a fawn looks like to people vs (Right) What other wild animals see.
We can see them just fine, but in the wild they blend in perfectly.

How Do You Know?

May 21, 2023 By Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Rescue, Shelter, or Sanctuary

How do you know if a rescue is like the crazy ones you see featured in documentaries? How do you know the money you donate is going for the care of the animals? How do you know if the rescue you are supporting is one of those drama filled organizations with lions, tigers, and bears in their backyards.

The words rescue, shelter, and sanctuary are often used interchangeably, and this can be confusing to the public. Sometimes the misuse of these words is intentional. There are no legal definitions of these three words in our state so there is no way to gage if an organization is legit by what it calls itself. Many people are leery of donating to animal-based organizations because they do not want to unintentionally support an organization that is not what they appear to be.

For the sake of simplicity we will use our rescue as the main example here.
We are a rescue. We take in animals, wildlife specifically, and rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild as soon as they are ready. That is our mission. We keep wildlife wild. We are not a shelter nor a sanctuary. We do not provide long-term placement for wild species. We do not foster nor adopt wildlife. Native wildlife that NEEDS long-term care is placed with other permitted facilities who can provide the specific care that species needs. We cannot allow visitors because wildlife cannot be released if it is human habituated or imprinted. Most wildlife rescues are home-based to keep the animals from being exposed to multiple people. We rely on other agencies to let you – the public – know we are legit, and our animals receive proper care.

Shelters are usually for domesticated pets or exotic species. Shelters are a very important part of every community. Shelters are typically a place where people can safely surrender their pets. Shelters may also rescue an animal and provide care until the animal finds a permanent home.

I know. It’s already a little confusing. Be patient with me.

Sanctuaries are the places getting the bad publicity at the moment and rightfully so in many cases. When most of us think of a sanctuary we picture a peaceful, serene place where non-releasable animals -both wild and exotic- can live their lives in habitats that mimic each species natural environment. You may even picture hundreds of acres of land with more than enough room to roam. Because there is NO LEGAL definition of what a sanctuary is, in most states a sanctuary can be a place that just keeps animals in cages forever. No minimum amount of land required. They can get nonprofit status. They can solicit donations. And other than providing adequate shelter, food, and water there are no standards that must be followed. The key word here is adequate. The word sanctuary gives a false sense of comfort that everything is legit.

How can you tell if a rescue/shelter/sanctuary is legit? Here are some simple questions to ask. There are exceptions to rules sometimes but use your judgement and ask more questions if needed.

-Check the nonprofit / 501 C3 status of the organization with the Internal Revenue Service. In SC nonprofits should also be listed with the Secretary of State as a charitable organization if they are soliciting donations. You can view the transparency of the organizations by visiting the website for the IRS and SC Secretary of State. The SOS will even list how much of the organization’s funds are used for the organizations mission. Keep in mind that it can take up to a year for misuse to be reflected on these sites.

-What does the organization do? Are most of the animals purchased or traded for other species to have on display? Some rescues and sanctuaries are actually petting zoos in disguise.
Animals on display DOES NOT equal bad intentions. Some sanctuaries will actually (legally) solicit donations for the animals they keep on display. The big question is: Were the display animals TRUE rescues or were they purchased from breeders with the intent of being displayed. If it’s the latter, you should question why these places bring in animals to have on display and then ask YOU for donations to pay for them.

-Is breeding allowed? Unless the organization has designated conservation status and is permitted to work with threatened and endangered species, the answer should always be NO. FYI – there are no wildlife rescues in South Carolina that qualify for conservation status. Sure, we all work towards conservation, but none have conservation status.

-Do they allow public contact with WILD animals that are intended to be released back into the wild? This should be a no-brainer. Wild animals being rehabilitated for release should never be part of a petting zoo or display. Ever.

-Is the organization involved in the community? This is very important. If an organization needs your support to operate, they should also contribute to the community that supports them in some way.

Not all shelters and sanctuaries allow visitors due to ordinances or safety rules, but if they do you can see for yourself if they are clean, organized, and if the animals are healthy. I know of a few sanctuaries in our county that are amazing! The bottom line is KNOW what you want to support. If you want to support a wildlife rescue whose mission is to keep wildlife wild and release rehabilitated wildlife back into its natural habitat (wink, wink) then be sure that is the mission of the organization you choose to support. If you donate to a shelter that provides care and placement to abandoned, neglected, or homeless pets then be sure that is what they do. If you are passionate about an animal sanctuary, be sure they meet YOUR definition of the word sanctuary. All of the above should be community helpers. None of the above should ever operate for profit or personal gain.