Everything is Ducky in Kentucky

Some of my dear readers may know that my wife, Corinne, has been a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist for several years now.  That means when Spring comes and the animal kingdom starts having babies, some of them are going to end up on our doorstep when their mother meets an unfortunate demise.  We never know what the next telephone call might bring. 

Corinne's specialty and her favorite are the raccoons.  Over the years she has had over 50 of the  masked critters, most of whom have survived to be released into the wild.  Last year was tough, because a mysterious virus invaded the raccoon population in this area - between Corinne and Karen Bailey, another local rehabber, we lost over 20 baby 'coons to the virus.  So far this year we've not even gotten a call about a raccoon, but sooner or later we will.

The last couple of years have seen a bumper crop of orphaned rabbits.  This year so far we have seven - one "larger" one who had been weaned by the time we got him - I dubbed him "Elmer Fudd" - and who will be ready to release soon.  The other six still had not opened their eyes when we got them (they have now) and are still being bottle-fed.  Mortality with un-weaned rabbits in most cases is 100% because they have not received a critical bacterium from their mother that allows them to digest solids.  We have tried various substitutes, and will continue to try, but the next survivor from among the un-weaned ones will be our first one.

The new and different additions to our menagerie (3 boxers, 1 dachshund, and 4 cats are full-time residents at our home) for 2008 are a collection of six baby mallard ducks.  They were found by a woman in Lexington in the middle of a busy road, their mother dead.  We have moved them into our "garden tub" in our bathroom, and they seem to be thriving.  Their names are Donald, Daisy, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Rubber.  Okay, okay, we needed SIX duck names and that's the best we could do.  We put one of Corinne's mallard duck slippers in the rub really just to see how they would react, and as you see in the photo to the right (click to enlarge), they have all decided that her slipper makes a cozy nest.

Corinne works hard to care for these babies and loves every one of them as much as the last one, or the next one.  Her heart breaks for each tiny life lost, and it soars when they prosper to the point of release, although parting is indeed sweet sorrow when we let them go.  Sometimes our vet bills get pretty stiff - for example, a vet visit for an injured foot on a baby rabbit last week cost $38.  But we just look at it as part of our giving back to the world for God's glory we get to enjoy with these little souls that cross our paths in the Spring.  I'm certain Corinne's got a gold star in heaven - she takes very seriously Proverbs 12:10, Ecclesiastes 3:18-19, and Matthew 25:40 as they apply to these baby animals.  Even those that die pass their last few hours or days warm, fed and loved, and we send them on to God's loving arms with a prayer for peace, warmth and safety.

Comments

[robroy]

Thanks for the break from the sad story of the TEO.

[Alice C. LInsley]

God bless you, Corinne! What a wonderful ministry.

[Trimble]

Update: We had our first successful release of the season - "Elmer Fudd" the rabbit got his freedom last night and was last seen hopping after some other wild bunnies into the tall grass. We also got our first racoon; because he came from a lady who works with a local mental health organization, we named him McMurphy. If you're too young to get that, you're too young. The ducks pictured above have grown so rapidly that now only two of them can sit on the duck slipper at one time.