Pine Tree Hill Wildlife

Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Camden, South Carolina

Blog: A Walk on the Wild Side

The Importance of being a Squirrel

By Leave a Comment

Squirrels are beneficial to the ecosystem. They play an important role as seed and spore dispersers. This means Gray Squirrels are champions of reforestation. We all know squirrels collect and store seeds and nuts in the soil, but did you know that squirrels do not always come back for the food they have stored? When these seeds or nuts are forgotten they sprout into new plants and trees. Squirrels also spread seeds and spores when they poop. Nature, right?

Squirrels are members of the Sciuridae family, which consists of small and medium-sized rodents. Tree squirrels can thrive anywhere there is a food source. Squirrels are omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals. They even eat eggs and baby birds! When squirrels leave their trees, it is usually in search of nuts, acorns, berries, and flowers OR to bury their food for later.

Feeding wildlife is NEVER a good idea. We know a lot of people feed wildlife because they love seeing the animals in their yards. Feeding wildlife increases the chance that the squirrel will lose its natural fear of humans and become aggressive when food is not available. Feeding squirrels (or any wildlife) can also put the animals in danger. All humans look alike to an animal. What you may allow in your backyard may not be welcome in your neighbors. We get calls all the time from people who want us to remove squirrels who get in their bird feeders or come on their porches looking for free food.

Squirrels live in family groups. This is why it is important to never raise just one squirrel. Squirrels need to know how to “squirrel” and there is no better way than to let them stay with mom OR if they have to be rescued make sure they go to a rescue that raises squirrels in groups. Family groups can be territorial in the wild and will not usually accept a single squirrel. Instead, they will defend their territory, often resulting in the death of the invading squirrel.

Squirrels rarely need to be rescued. Moms will do everything in their power to get their babies when they fall from their nests. Unfortunately, people do not usually give mom time. Mom will retrieve her babies when she feels safe and since squirrels have more than one nest, you do not have to worry that the babies are abandoned if their tree falls or is cut down. If you find a healthy, uninjured baby you can leave it at the base of the nearest tree or put the babies in a box with leaves and let mom do her job. If the baby is still unclaimed after several hours, you can call a rescue to get advice on what to do next.

Of course, wildlife can sometimes cause problems when they invade your living or working areas. There are usually simple solutions to evict or prevent animals from taking up residence and causing problems.

No matter how you feel about wildlife, each species plays an important role in Nature so let’s do our best to keep wildlife WILD!

Carrying Capacity of the Land

By Leave a Comment

The most triumphant phase of wildlife rehabilitation is when rehabilitation is complete. It does not matter if the animal is with us a few days or several months, releasing an animal back into its natural habitat is WHY we do what we do.  If we do not have release sites, we cannot rehabilitate animals that have nowhere to go when they are ready. It is a struggle some years and, in the past, has prevented us from rehabilitating certain species. Wildlife rescue is not just about our ability to properly care for and make ready each species to return to the wild. It is also about ensuring a safe, secure area for those animals to live the rest of their lives.

A lot of homework goes into choosing a place to release an animal. We must determine if that species naturally thrives in the area. What natural resources are available? Are there homes or businesses nearby? And most important, what is the carrying capacity of the land for that area. 

The carrying capacity of the land is the maximum number of individuals of a given species that an area’s resources can sustain indefinitely without significantly depleting or degrading those resources. It is important for us to not reuse any given area multiple times for our release sites because if we do, we risk exceeding the carrying capacity.  

If you exceed the carrying capacity of an area the result is the species directly affected will either starve to death or must move to a new area. Moving to a new area is not usually a successful option as most species are territorial and will not allow newcomers to be incorporated into the existing populations. 

We are often consulted about wildlife populations in neighborhoods or on private land. One question we are often asked is, “Where did all the wildlife go?”.  Folks will notice there are no birds or squirrels or cottontails and wonder why. In one area a neighborhood homeowners association contacted us after their squirrel population disappeared from one season to the next. Their concern was that someone could be harming the squirrels. After a thorough study of the area, we were able to determine that basically the carrying capacity of the area had been used up. There were no more resources to sustain a squirrel population. Residents had been feeding squirrels for at least five years. The abundance of food increased breeding. The increase of breeding put a greater demand on the natural resources and eventually the squirrel population exceeded the carrying capacity of the land.  The result? The area could no longer sustain squirrels and they either moved on or died.

As a rescue we can only release on privately owned land with the landowner’s permission. It is unlawful to release wildlife (or pets) in parks, preserves or wildlife management areas. A minimum of 50 acres is required for every 10 animals we release. We never release animals near homes, in neighborhoods, or near businesses. Once used, we give each of our release areas a few seasons to recuperate before we release there again.  We must take into consideration that not only will the animals we release need the natural resources there to survive, but so will any offspring they reproduce. If we released in the same area multiple times a year for several years it would be a death sentence for the released animals and the wildlife already inhabiting that area once the natural resources are depleted. We also have to take into consideration what is beyond the area where we are granted permission to release. Eventually our release populations could spill over beyond the acreage we have permission to use.  We never want to cause landowners beyond our release area issues with wildlife.

It is important that we only release healthy wildlife to protect all native wildlife that lives where we release.

On a global scale, exceeding the carrying capacity along with habitat destruction can be directly linked to extinction of some species. Our communities, no matter how small, are all part of the bigger picture so we are very careful about where our rehabilitated wildlife is released. 

Each year we scout for possible release sites. If you have undeveloped land in SC and are interested in being a release site for us let us know. You can email pthwildlife@gmail.com

Sideshow Freak

By Leave a Comment

Years ago, we did a lot of wildlife and exotic animal education programs. We loved it. Educating the public about the wildlife in their backyards was our favorite thing to do.  We loved seeing the people in our community and people loved seeing us, but mostly people loved seeing the unusual variety of animals we shared.

After a few years of doing this, especially when we were doing multiple programs each month, we noticed life in the public was not good for our animals. After these events many of our animals would show signs of stress.  It only took a few times of seeing the negative impact that public display had on the animals, and we said no more.

For the record, we never used any of our native wildlife rehab patients for programs. It is our job to protect releasable wildlife from human imprinting, habituation, or desensitization to people.  We usually shared some of our exotics and native non-releasable wildlife, like our King Snake named Pretzel or our giant tortoises.  Folks loved our Tarantulas, Iguanas and Bearded Dragons.  Our farm turkey, Buttercup, was quite the celebrity, too.

We stepped away from programs that required animal exhibition about 4 years ago. It hurt us a lot.  Our youth education programs were free and not a source of any income, but it was a way for the public to have one-on-one encounters with their local rescue. The negative impact for us was we stopped receiving donations since we were not in the public eye as much.  Ouch!

We learned that our main responsibility is the health and welfare of the animals in our care.  Most of the animals that come to us, both wild and exotic, have been through unimaginable abuse and neglect.  They came to us to heal, not to be sideshow freaks at an education program and certainly not to be used as an income resource.

We still enjoy the occasional local outing and will even bring our very social, crowd-loving tortoises to visit.  We have been to schools and career days to talk about what we do, and to community helper day at our local elementary school to educate students about what to do if you find wildlife.  We still have our yearly “Let’s Get Snakey” snake identification class, which we can also present to your business or organization.  But we just cannot be irresponsible stewards of the animals who trust us to provide a secure, stable environment for the rest of their lives.  And we cannot risk the chances for native wildlife in our care to not be able to be released back into the wild when rehabilitation is completed.

All wildlife (even most exotic pets) are high stress animals.  There is no such thing as TRULY domesticating or taming a wild or exotic animal.  Some species become human imprinted or human habituated, but wild and exotic animals NEVER lose their natural instincts.  They just use the ability to trust those instincts enough to use them.

Not all zoos, petting zoos, or animal education facilities are BAD.  There are a lot of great zoos and animal sanctuaries to visit in South Carolina.  When you do visit these places, native wildlife on display should only be non-releasable wildlife.  Releasable wildlife cannot under any circumstances, be human habituated, imprinted, or desensitized to people.  This means non-releasable animals should never cohabitate with releasable wild animals.  We believe in this so strongly at our rescue that once an animal is being weaned and ready for release, we do not even talk around them and a few weeks before release they rarely see us.  We limit the number of different people a wild animal sees while in care.  We need releasable wild animals to NOT associate people with food, security, or companionship.  We need releasable wildlife to have a natural fear of people and pets.

Finally, if you attend events or facilities that have wild, exotic, or even farm animals on display, please know that no matter how docile and friendly these animals appear, a person, place, or even a smell could cause stress.  Ask the animal handler before you try to touch or feed an animal.  Some facilities may already have instructions in place at enclosures detailing what is allowed.  Respect an animal’s personal space.  Social distancing isn’t just for humans.

Bella, one of our dedicated volunteers
and supporters, at a 4-H presentation.

Where Have All The Rescues Gone?

By

South Carolina has 46 counties.  Last count, there are only 30 counties with local wildlife rescues. Many rescues accept animals from multiple counties.

Folks tell us all the time that there are not enough wildlife rescues in South Carolina.  We do not disagree.  Ironically there are not enough donors and supporters of wildlife rescues for more of us to survive. 

Wildlife rescues serve a much-needed purpose to communities.  Who do you call when you find orphaned, injured, or displaced wildlife? If you really want to make sure the animal you found receives the absolute best care from people who are educated to care for that species; you will call your most local (reputable) wildlife rescue. *

In South Carolina there are no state or federal agencies that do what we do.  All wildlife rescues are independent organizations that do not receive state or federal funding.  Most of us are nonprofits, but you do not have to be a nonprofit to be a good rescue.  Nonprofit status does not benefit the organization so much as it does the donors to the organization.  Nonprofit status does not legitimize an organization either.

Our rescue is a nonprofit organization.  We are also an all-volunteer organization.  This means no one receives a salary so all donations received go directly to the care of the animals at the rescue.  This also means that we pay out of pocket for any expenses not covered by donations.  And there are plenty of expenses.  Nonprofits do not receive anything for free.  We pay for vet care, feed, supplies, and transportation. Sometimes we might get a discount. Most of the time we do not.

Most of our volunteers also have jobs in their real life.  We have to…this is how we pay for all of those expenses when donations are low. 

We’re not telling those of you who follow us anything you haven’t heard before…Let us get to the point of this blog post, which is about 50% rant and 50% preaching to the choir.

Last week we had two different callers who drove more than 2 hours from opposite sides of the state to bring us orphaned wildlife they found because they did not have a local rescue in their area.  Both callers were mad because to help the wildlife they found they had to drive to us. Both were angry that we could not just hop in our cars and drive to them. They wanted to help the animals they found, but they were also disappointed that wildlife rescues here aren’t like the ones they see on TV shows?!?!?!?!  One caller actually told us we need to do better.

For wildlife rescues to be successful and sustainable we need community support.  Two years ago our rescue had to limit the species we accept.  Not because we do not have the time or volunteers, but because we do not have the funding to keep supplies on hand for multiple species of wildlife.

Wildlife rescues face a lot of hardships with our biggest one being that we do not have a revenue generating resource.  Our main goal is to keep wildlife wild and be sure it’s capable of survival when rehabilitation is complete.  We cannot have adoption events or charge admission to visitors. Heck, we can’t even have visitors.  We cannot take the wild animals we are rehabbing to events and show them off.  We cannot allow the WILD animals in our care to be human imprinted or habituated. Sadly when the public does not get to have a first hand experience with the animals they tend to NOT donate to us and instead donate to the shelters, sanctuaries, and petting zoos they can visit.

Our second biggest hardship is that folks believe we receive funding from state agencies to do the work we do so people believe there is no need to donate.  Or that their tax money pays us.  We wish!

We help the humans who reach out to us just as much as we help the wildlife brought to us. Our purpose is not only to rehabilitate and keep wildlife wild.  Our purpose is also to help the people who FIND the animals know what to do when they encounter wildlife. 

The moral of the story here is that wildlife rescues are becoming a rarity and the biggest culprit is (as always) funding.  If you have a wildlife rescue in your community, please support them. If you take an animal to a rescue, leave a donation.  Tell other people about how your local wildlife rescue helped you.  Share social media posts, newsletters, websites, and blogs from your local wildlife rescue.  Do something because before long rescues like ours will only be able to do nothing.

*Some species and some situations fall outside of what a wildlife rescue can lawfully handle and require a response from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) or the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC).

It’s For The Birds

By

Did you know baby birds do not know how to fly the first time they leave the nest? Fledgling birds leave the nest and will live on the ground a few days. The parents will watch and continue to care for the fledglings, encouraging them to take short test flights while following the parents. Once the fledglings fly, the parents continue to care for them until they are ready to be on their own.
It can be difficult to know when to leave Mother Nature alone. Especially when you see a tiny bird hopping around. The span of time when the fledgling leaves the nest until it flies is when parents teach the baby survival skills. Allowing the baby to stay with the parents is crucial to the birds survival.
No one can teach a fledgling how to be a bird better than its parents.
Baby birds should ONLY be rescued if they are sick or injured, or if you are absolutely positive BOTH parents are gone. If you are worried about cats or dogs in the area the right thing to do is to NOT disturb or disrupt the birds. Instead, move or restrict the cats or dogs. It will only be a few days before the birds have moved on.
FYI, this information applies to both songbirds and birds of prey.

The ONLY federally permitted songbird rescue in the Midlands is Carolina Wildlife Center, located at 5551 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 803-772-3994.

The More You Know

By 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

Or

PTH Wildlife, PO Box 1523, Camden, SC 29021

This function has been disabled for Pine Tree Hill Wildlife.