How you can help injured, orphaned animals in Kansas

LINWOOD (KSNT) – A Kansas conservationist group is asking for help with their continued mission to rehabilitate injured and orphaned wild animals.

Operation Wildlife’s Executive Director Diane Johnson is in search of as a lot help as she can get to carry reduction to the big variety of wild animals her group has obtained not too long ago. She took to Facebook asking for donations to help care for the 348 animals presently beneath her protected holding.

This lengthy listing of animals consists of:

• Red Tailed Hawks
• Great Horned Owls
• Adult Opossums
• Cottontail Rabbits
• Big Brown Bats
• Mourning Doves
• Robins
• Canada Goslings
• Bluejay
• Ornate Box Turtles
• House Finches
• Belted Kingfisher
• Grey Squirrels
• Raccoons
• Bald Eagle
• Mallard Ducklings
• Groundhogs
• Barred Owls
• Osprey
• Red Shouldered Hawks
• Fox Squirrels
• Baltimore Oriole

Johnson stated Operation Wildlife receives round 25 new animals per day and works diligently to help them get well and reenter the pure atmosphere if doable. Taking care of such numerous animals, typically requiring specialised care, has been difficult, particularly as current storms and the twister that tore via Andover have performed havoc with wildlife nesting in forested areas.

“Strong wind and rain are playing with our numbers a little bit,” Johnson stated. “Think about things that are in the tree. When the winds are blowing hard, those animals get thrown onto the ground. It exponentially adds to our numbers when we have inclement weather come through.”

Johnson stated in the previous 24 hours alone Operation Wildlife took in one other 22 animals: 12 Cottontail Rabbits, six opossum juveniles, an grownup mallard that was struck by a automobile, a Canada Gosling with a damaged leg and two mourning doves. On the flip-side, Johnson stated they have been in a position to launch two animals in the present day: a juvenile nice horned owl and a red-shouldered hawk.

These animals arrive rapidly however typically take a very long time to get well earlier than they’re able to be launched again into the atmosphere. However, when an animal is ready to be launched, it makes all of the onerous work value it.

“I don’t have words for it, it’s a relief,” Johnson stated. “That we’re able to get another one back out there.”

Operation Wildlife serves 9 northeast Kansas counties and areas of northwestern Missouri, however typically accepts animals from a a lot bigger space. Many of the animals obtained by the group come from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the Kansas Highway Patrol, animal management officers, veterinarians and personal people.

The care supplied to injured and orphaned wildlife consists of medical companies, particular housing, pure meals or shut substitutes and publicity to “siblings” and/or “foster parents.”

To help Operation Wildlife out with donations, go to their web site right here. You can additionally mail a Walmart present card to 23375 Guthrie Rd. in Linwood, Kansas 66052. You can additionally attain out to their group on Facebook right here or by e-mail at opwildlife@aol.com. Operation Wildlife additionally accepts volunteers and individuals who need to signal their wind up as locations to launch wildlife into safely.