Help Us Help Wildlife

December, 2021

Dear Friend of Aark,

Winter is fast approaching, and the wildlife is scurrying about preparing for the cold days ahead. The Aark is quieter these days as the wild babies have flown or scampered their way to freedom. The trauma cases continue to arrive, but the hectic pace of baby season is behind us once again. It is time to reflect, repair cages, revise protocols, reconnect with our families and thank the supporters who helped us care for over 6,000 lives. Thank you for keeping the Aark afloat.

This is a time of transition. Moving from one season to another, shaking off the heat and preparing for the cold. But this story begins on a sticky summer day in late June and a frantic caller who found a baby beaver sitting on her back porch. It had strange growths all over its face and front legs and she was afraid to go near. About an hour later, our Game Warden, Hannah, called. She had the baby and would arrive in 30 minutes. The strange “growths” turned out to be ticks - hundreds of them all lumped on top of each other completely covering her face and front legs. It was heartbreaking. If we didn’t act fast, this tiny creature, only about 4 weeks old and weighing just two pounds, would be unlikely to survive these blood-sucking pests.

Slowly and carefully we began removing the clusters of ticks one at a time taking care not to damage her tender skin. To our dismay, as we cleaned her, maggots began to emerge. Tiny, wriggling monsters ready to devour our little one. We bathed her, over and over until they were all gone. We started to comb through her dense coat and discovered more deer ticks buried deep into her fur and body. Would e ever get to the end?

Many hours after her arrival we were able to place her in a heated crate with some food and water, finally allowing her to rest. She fell into a deep sound sleep that told us she might just pull through. The next morning, as we examined her for any vermin that may have escaped our treatment, we discovered more maggots – this time in her ears. We dowsed her ears with powerful medication to kill and expel the parasites. Finally, we reached the end and she was free.

After a quick trip to the vet and a few x-rays, it was noted that she also had a small fracture of her right front leg. She came home with orders for rest and a 30-day prescription for antibiotics to stave off the possible onset of Lyme disease.

Our little beaver bundle has recovered fully and now weighs over 14 pounds! She enjoys spending her days swimming and eating in our large outdoor beaver enclosure and will remain with us until the Spring of 2023 when she will be released back into the wild, free at last to be the busy beaver that nature intended. She transitioned from a bundle of nerves and pain into a beautiful, healthy builder getting ready for her first winter at the Aark.

As we all transition to the new “normal,” we know, with your support that the Aark will continue to save thousands of wild animals each year just like our little beaver. Please consider giving today to help more animals like her and so many others. Thank you for caring for the wildlife around you.

Sincerely,

Leah A. Stallings, Executive Director