It’s Baby Season at Humane Indiana Wildlife!

Will you help us care for injured and orphaned baby animals this spring?

It's 8:00am on a brisk spring morning at the Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. The sun is warm, but the wind still carries a cold bite. If you look closely enough, sunlight catches the smallest green buds appearing in the pollinator garden, a subtle promise of the busy season ahead.

Although it’s early in the day, you wouldn’t guess that by observing the Humane Indiana Wildlife team – with the impending spring comes baby season, HIW’s busiest time of the year, and there’s much to prepare for. Inside the center, fresh UV lightbulbs click into place as neonatal areas are prepared, and incubators are cleaned and assembled. Elsewhere, staff are busy inventorying formula, where each season, dozens of pounds will be used. In addition to the formula, the rehab center will go through hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of produce and protein.

At its height during the months of May-June, HIW staff will admit over 1,000 young animals, many of whom will need feeding 5-6 times a day. For example, in the avian nursery, baby birds are fed every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours based on their size, species, and state of development. The nursery maintains timers to help staff stay on-task, as there may be 30-50 baby birds in care at any given time. Each patient’s timer starts after their very first feeding at 8am. From there, the timers will steadily chime throughout the day until 9pm, to best mimic what their natural feeding schedule looks like in the wild.

During these two months, Humane Indiana Wildlife will see more animals than most rehab facilities see in an entire year, and the support of our community makes this staggering feat possible.  Every day, we are able to do what we can because you provide the resources that allow it to happen. Humane Indiana receives 100% of its funding from the generosity of our community members, and we count on you to help us keep going. You are the heart of our mission – your support a pulse as steady as the chiming of the baby birds’ feeding timers.

The most common baby species we’ll see this upcoming season are Eastern Cottontail Rabbits, American Robins, and Virginia Opossums. As we prepare for these animals, as well as other species, to be admitted, your gift of any size will help make an impact on local wildlife:

·        A gift of $25 can feed a litter of 5 Eastern Cottontails for 2-3 weeks

·        A gift of $100 can feed a nest of 3 American Robins for 4-5 weeks

·        A gift of $125 can feed a litter of 13 Virginia Opossums for 8-10 weeks

Your gift drives Humane Indiana Wildlife’s mission. We believe native wildlife deserves protection and preservation and we’re gearing up for our busiest season of the year. Your support provides the necessary resources to care for injured and orphaned wildlife, giving them a second chance they would not otherwise have. Can we count on you to help us through this year’s baby season and beyond?